Queensland, NSW fire updates: Seven ‘potentially deadly’ bushfires spur leave now orders

Firefighters have successfully diverted a ‘deadly’ bushfire heading towards trapped residents in a border Queensland town.

A kangaroo escapes the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston

The small Queensland border town of Wallangarra has been saved from a fast-moving bushfire that trapped residents in their homes.

Firefighters managed to redirect the blaze in the Southern Downs region around the town of 600 people, who were instructed hours earlier by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to “seek shelter immediately to survive” and not attempt to leave as driving “could be deadly”.

A combination of dry winds, hot temperatures and low humidity has whipped up almost a dozen potentially life-threatening fires across Queensland and NSW on Tuesday, which are likely to leave many people in regional towns on high alert overnight.

More than 1,000 firefighters battled 80 blazes burning across Queensland on Tuesday, with the most dangerous fires at Tara, in the Western Downs, Goodwood, south of Bundaberg, and the border town of Dalveen, near Stanthorpe.

Six fires were burning around the northern NSW town of Tenterfield, with a blaze 50kms east near Tabulam threatening to jump the Clarence River. An Emergency warning has also been issued for a fire at Nymboida, near Grafton, while another bushfire at Cooks Gap, west of Dubbo has a 1km exclusion zone due to explosives being stored in the area.

Firefighters from Victoria and New Zealand will arrive on Wednesday to offer support in Queensland.

A fire in Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston

A wind change hit the fire-ravaged south of Queensland earlier than expected on Tuesday, which stoked fires and caused multiple emergency evacuation orders. Temperatures across the state hovered in the high 30s, exceeding 40 degrees in some areas.

High to extreme fire danger ratings were expected to develop across southern and southeastern Queensland, with fire bans active across most of the state.

Eighty-five structures have been lost in the southwestern region over the past week, including 46 houses, 30 sheds and eight mobile properties. One home was damaged at Goodwood.

A thunderstorm warning has been issued for the southern part of Queensland, which QFES deputy commissioner Mike Wassing is another risk factor.

“Our focus in the next 24 to 48 hours is really watching these storms as they come through,” he said.

“Last time we got some storms come through, we got approximately 10 new fires from those lightning (strikes). So, we’ll be up early, checking for any new fires associated with these storms.”

A cool change with shower and storm activity is forecast from Friday through to Sunday.

On the ground in Dalby, QFES acting superintendent Cameron Herbert said firefighters took advantage of milder conditions on Tuesday morning to ensure containment lines that were already in place.

“The wind direction change, that creates a challenging environment with the change of fire direction, but the plan that we put in place and the resources were strategically located. Hopefully, it will allow us to contain the fire where we need,” he said.

Around 71 people forced to evacuate fires at Tara have been relocated to hotels. Forty-six people remained in the Chinchilla evacuation centre and 11 in Chinchilla, with 20 caravans to be relocated to the area for emergency housing.

Fire truck at the staging point for the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston

Eighty-five structures have been lost in the southwestern region over the past week, including 46 houses, 30 sheds and eight mobile properties.

Similar conditions led to more fires breaking out due to dry lightning strikes in already fire-devastated regions.

Interstate firefighting crews from Victoria and New Zealand have been called in to relieve those on the ground. A large aerial tanker has been moved to Toowoomba, while another from NSW has been relocated to Coffs Harbour.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked those on the ground and extended her thoughts to those who lost their homes.

“Queensland’s arms continue to wrap around those who’ve lost everything in these fires,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I want to thank once again all of those involved in helping our communities including interstate and New Zealand fire crews giving our own firefighters a much-needed break. Aircraft – including our LAT (large aerial tanker) and New South Wales’ – are deployed where they can do the most good.”

Thirty households forced to flee the Tara fire have been put up in alternative accommodation in Tara, Chinchilla and Dalby, with 26 groups still remaining in the Dalby Evacuation Centre.