‘Glowing with fire’: Crews continue to battle fast-growing bushfire

As dozens of crews continue to fight a large bushfire in the Darling Downs, a resident has described the conditions from the scene. See photos here.

More than 20 crews are working to contain a fast-moving bushfire near Millmerran with residents unable to return to their homes.

Residents of The Pines – a small town near Millmerran, were forced to evacuate their homes just before midnight after the blaze started at 7.15pm on Saturday.

Bill Good has been watching the fire since it started from his Forest Ridge property which is about 3.5km from the fire and 28km from Millmerran.

Fireys continue to battle a fast moving bushfire which commenced on November 18, 2023 in the Queensland town of The Pines, near Millmerran. Picture: supplied

“I got about an hour’s sleep last night – I live up high on a hill so I’ve just been watching the fires at Condamine Farms,” he said.

“Last night I looked out and bits of the horizon were glowing with fire, and I could actually see flames going in four different directions, and there’s about seven different lots of smoke rising.”

The Forest Ridge man said the wind felt very hot but had dropped about eight degrees since the fire first started.

As the fire continued to spread, he said the sun was no longer visible in the sky due to the amount of cloud and smoke coverage.

Fireys continue to battle a fast-moving bushfire which started on November 18, 2023 in the Queensland town of The Pines, near Millmerran. Picture: supplied

The fire is a tragic reminder for Mr Good who almost lost his life during the bushfires in 2019 and was living in a caravan at the time as he had recently purchased his block of land.

“I only just survived, and I lost a lot of my belongings, but that’s just stuff,” he said.

“The only emotion I remember feeling was for the water bomber pilots who did everything they could to save my life.

“At one stage I knew I was breathing, but it felt like I was stripped of oxygen because of how hot it was.

“For me I’ve lived a very full life, but it’s very sad for this to happen to all the young people who live here and are trying to set up their lives.”

Fireys continue to battle a fast moving bushfire which commenced on November 18, 2023 in the Queensland town of The Pines, near Millmerran. Picture: supplied

Residents of properties between Flamingo Road, Rosella Ave, Scrubby Creek Boondanilla Road to the Gore Highway, were evacuated and told it was not safe to return at 2am on Sunday.

A spokesman from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said the fire between Pine Ridge Road and Grosman Road had since been contained, while crews were still working to extinguish the blaze and defending properties on Rosella Ave.

More than 24 crews from QFES were tasked to the fire on Sunday, including five aircrafts.

Stay up to date with incidents and warnings online at qfes.qld.gov.au/Current-Incidents