Queensland bushfires: Catastrophic conditions close schools
There are almost 140 fires burning across Queensland - eight of serious concern, and four of “extreme concern” with evacuations ordered.
Extraordinary low humidity conditions have caused catastrophic fire conditions across Queensland fuelling over a hundred blazes which are threatening lives and property in at least three districts across the state.
The latest
There are almost 140 fires burning across Queensland - eight of serious concern, and four of “extreme concern” with evacuations ordered. The “exceptional” heat and fire event will continue until at least Tuesday from Cooktown to Gladstone.
More than 8000 people were ordered to leave Gracemere, just south of Rockhampton, around 3pm on Wednesday as a “catastrophic, fast moving fire” closed in on the area.
Around 1500 residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek, Eungella and Dalrymple Heights also ordered to evacuate before fires cut roads. Houses could be lost as the intense fire travels south.
A blaze at Ambrose, west of Gladstone, barrelled towards Mount Larcom forcing an unknown number of residents to leave.
Authorities have warned those who stay are risking death.
PM pledges federal help
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged federal help for the Queensland bushfire emergency.
The Commonwealth disaster assistance plan has been activated, allowing the Queensland state government to seek federal help, as well as financial assistance.
“The entire country is coming to your aid. The entire country is there to help in this time of great need,” Mr Morrison told reporters.
10,000 forced to flee
Almost 10,000 Queenslanders are being forced to flee to shelter as bushfires fanned by catastrophic conditions bear down on their communities.
Firefighters in Queensland are battling almost 140 bushfires, with the worst in central Queensland in destructive conditions that have been compared to those that fanned the infernos that recently decimated California. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered and 37 schools closed amid a new blaze near Rockhampton and monster one farther south that’s already razed at least four homes and scorched tens of thousands of hectares of bush and farmland.
A large fire sparked shortly before 3pm on Wednesday has since raced towards Gracemere, prompting authorities to order a mandatory complete evacuation of the 8000 people in the area.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart told people not to panic but make for the Rockhampton showgrounds around 14km away, where an evacuation centre has been set up.
“Can I please encourage everyone who is listening to this who has family in that area, if you are picking up the kids, don’t go home, go to the Showgrounds at Rockhampton,” Mr Stewart said.
AAP
Schools closed
“Unprecedented” and “uncharted” was how Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk described the situation as she revealed her government had closed 29 schools in response to the fire threat and the extreme heat and wind conditions which were expected to continue well into the night.
The Capricornia and Central Highlands and the Coalfields districts were most at risk from the 138 fires burning around the state but Fire Commissioner Katarina Carroll revealed districts around these areas could quickly come under threat.
“The situation is evolving very very quickly, you may only have minutes, up to 20 minutes or even less to move when we give you the order to leave,’’ she said .
“This is evolving now but we expect this to go well into the night. Normally you get reprieve at that time. There will be no reprieve for the next several hours.”
Commissioner Carroll revealed some houses had been destroyed number possibly less than 10 but she said confirming the numbers was impossible with conditions too dangerous to allow an assessment.
More horrific vision coming in from Deepwater in Central Queensland. These fires are catastrophic. Truly scary. #QLDFires @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/y0el1Ounqw
— Allyson Horn (@allysonhorn) November 28, 2018
Queensland has closed 34 schools and warned parents to come and collect their kids and stay out of danger as firefighters battle 138 fires around the state in catastrophic and unpredictable conditions.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said 29 state schools and five non-state schools had been closed immediately in areas where dangerous blazes were threatening people and property.
She warned families not to go out in the catastrophic conditions, and to keep families together and prepare to leave if needed.
“This is the first time we have had this category in Queensland,” she said. “Unprecedented, uncharted, but we have a plan and we are going to follow that plan. That is why we have taken the urgent action of closing schools.”
Meanwhile, eight thousand residents of Gracemere just south of Rockhampton in Central Queensland have been urged to leave immediately as a fire suddenly flares up and moves towards homes.
Some terrifying and extraordinary vision provided by @QldFES of the dangerous #qldfires in central Queensland. This is what it's like on the fire-front at the moment. @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/29eUnkAKiK
— Allyson Horn (@allysonhorn) November 28, 2018
A fast-moving unpredictable fire is moving towards inhabited areas of the community, with authorities urging people to make for the Rockhampton showgrounds where an evacuation centre has been set up.
Authorities are warning people not to panic, but also not to be complacent, and to make their way as soon as possible away from the fire.
Earlier, Brian Smith, Regional Manager for the Rural Fire Services Central Region, said experts in fire behaviour had predicted catastrophic conditions would unfold in the area north of Bundaberg on Wednesday afternoon. “This is something we don’t want to overstate, but they’re comparing this to the conditions in the Waroona fires in Western Australia, which completely wiped out a town a few years ago, and also to the recent California fires,” he told AAP. He said the unpredictable fires were being fanned by gusty westerly winds, which started blowing at about midday.
Tinnies on standby
A fleet of small boats is on standby to rescue residents trapped in the path of an out of control bushfire burning south along the coast in central Queensland and the Wide Bay Burnett region.
The blaze which has already burned through about 20,000 hectares along the coast was bearing down on residents living in and around the tiny community of Rules Beach about 60km north of Bundaberg.
Around midday about 15 people were still holed up at the Baffle Creek Caravan Park on the banks of Baffle Creek just south of Rules Beach ready to use the tinnies to cross the creek to safety if the fire approached, said the caravan park’s manager Sally Ehrlich.
“We’ve got about 10 or 12 people here and my guys are ready if need be to use the boats to go across the creek,’’ said Ms Ehrlich.
“A couple have already gone across in boats and the SES (State Emergency Service) are here as well with boats and the Water Police.
Ms Ehrlich said the residents from the district had converged on the caravan park because it featured a wide expanse of flood plain to store their vehicles and access to the creek to flee over after two key roads out of the area were cut.
She said she could not pinpoint where the fire was in relation to the park because the wind kept changing direction.
“Every so often the sea breeze drops and we can feel the hot wind. We know that we are cut of by road and we can see the smoke and smell it,’’ she said.
Ms Ehrlich said it was believed that most residents had packed up and left but she could not be sure.
Earlier in the day Emergency Services in the area issued another warning to all residents in the area to evacuate early.
Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Bob Gee said officers were doing a final sweep of the area, but after that residents would be on their own “People will burn to death. It is no different to a Category 5 cyclone coming through your door,” he said.
“The beach may not be a safe option. Leave now.”
People ‘will burn to death’
Residents of the small Queensland fishing community of Rules Beach who are refusing to evacuate have been told by frustrated police they could ‘burn to death’ when a massive bushfire reaches the area.
Meanwhile, residents in the path of a second destructive bushfire moving towards Eungella, west of Mackay, have been urged to leave their homes as the inferno threatens properties.
More than 1000 people had already left their homes near the Deepwater fire, south of Agnes Water on the state’s central coast, as of Wednesday morning. But many others are ignoring pleas to flee to safety and some residents are in the direct path of the inferno, even after police banged on their doors on Tuesday night.
Around 50 properties in the area have residents who are refusing to leave, which is frustrating authorities.
Isolated thunderstorms have developed in #SEQ ahead of a dry change and are tracking towards #Brisbane. We will continue to monitor them into this afternoon. Keep an eye on the radar: https://t.co/PPtAgweDPL pic.twitter.com/E99C2SUr2Z
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 28, 2018
Deputy Police Commissioner Bob Gee said officers were doing a final sweep of the area, but after that residents would be on their own.
“If you have children with you, you need to think really hard about not losing a house, but losing the people you care most about,” Mr Gee said. “People will burn to death. Their normal approaches probably won’t work if this situation develops the way it is predicted to develop. It is no different to a Category 5 cyclone coming through your door.” “The beach may not be a safe option. Leave now.” There are concerns Hills Road Bridge, which is the only land bridge connecting the area, will be destroyed in the fire, cutting off any chance of escape for locals who remain.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said the conditions in the area reminded him of the Ash Wednesday fires in Victoria which he experienced first-hand as a firefighter.
“I’m sure that some people have probably got very good and elaborate systems of pumps and dams and systems and they believe that ‘I’ll be OK and I know what I’m doing and I’ve done this before,’” Mr Crawford said.
“Today is not one of those days. Today is different. We are expecting a firestorm.” The firestorm would likely create “dead man zones” which would be impossible to survive, even in a car.
More than 80 fires are burning across the state, but the Deepwater fire and another at Dalrymple, west of Mackay, are of the most concern. QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said it was incredibly frustrating to have to continually urge residents to leave a clearly dangerous situation. “We predicted that the circumstances and conditions today were going to be horrific,” Ms Carroll said.
“I’ve got to say, I’m getting a little bit frustrated about delivering the message constantly to leave now. So I implore once more, that you leave now.” Interstate crews arrived on Tuesday to help fight the inferno in central Queensland that’s destroyed homes and burnt through at least 20,000 hectares of bush and farmland since Saturday.
Eight aircraft, including a massive water-bombing plane, which can dump 15,000 litres at a time, are also fighting the fire.
Crews from South Australia are expected to arrive on Wednesday, with more from around Australia to arrive later this week.
WHAT’S BURNING IN QLD?
There were 87 fires burning across Queensland — eight of serious concern, and two of “extreme concern” at midday.
The “exceptional” heat and fire event will continue for days from Cooktown to Gladstone.
The worst fire is at Deepwater.Residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek, Eungella and Dalrymple Heights have been ordered to evacuate before fires cut roads. Houses could be lost as the intense fire travels south.
Authorities have warned those who stay are risking death.
WHERE ARE THE OTHER DANGEROUS FIRES?
* Eungella (Formerly the Finch-Hatton fire) Residents have been told to evacuate before the fire impacts the town.
WHAT ARE THE BIG DANGERS?
* Unprecedented conditions not seen before in Queensland, particularly in the Capricornia region, mean the fire is very unpredictable
* Extreme temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are creating “firestorms” that could change direction at any time
* Storms with dry lightning strikes and very little rain are forecast and could spark more blazes
* Residents in the direct path of the blaze are ignoring evacuation orders.
WHO IS BATTLING THE BLAZES?
* Queensland Fire and Emergency Services are deployed at fires across the state
* More than 100 NSW firefighters are deployed in Agnes Water, with another 100 to arrive in coming days
* 100 SA firefighters are expected to arrive on today.
* 220 firefighters requested from other Australian states
* Multiple water-bombing craft, including the NSW-based 737 Large Air Tanker Gaia IS EVERYONE OKAY?
* No one seriously injured but two people treated on Sunday for smoke inhalation, and two on Tuesday night for heat-stress
* Two homes confirmed destroyed in Deepwater with reports of another two razed in the same area
* Around 1500 people evacuated
Additional reporting: AAP
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