GALLERY: Heartbreaking toll of Qld bushfires
The bushfires that ripped through Queensland in October 2023 left a trail of devastation – these are the confronting images.
1/99Southern Downs Regional Council community services team members Nicola Featherstone (left) and Sue Organ prepare to welcome Wallangarra residents to the evacuation centre in Stanthorpe, Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer
2/99Obi Valley bushfire, Witta. Picture: Patrick Woods.
3/99Obi Valley bushfire, Witta. Picture: Patrick Woods.
4/99Obi Valley bushfire, Witta. Picture: Patrick Woods.
5/99Obi Valley bushfire, Witta. Palmwoods Rural Firefighters. Picture: Patrick Woods.
6/99Obi Valley bushfire, Witta. Picture: Patrick Woods.
7/99Incident Controller Rachel Connolly at Obi Valley bushfire, Schultz Road, Witta. Picture: Patrick Woods.
8/99Obi Valley bushfire, Schultz Road, Witta, looking North direction. Picture: Patrick Woods.
9/99Firefighters are battling a large bushfire at Obi Obi, with residents told at 4.38pm on Tuesday to prepare to leave.
10/99Southern Downs Regional Council community services team members Nicola Featherstone (left) and Sue Organ prepare to welcome Wallangarra residents to the evacuation centre in Stanthorpe, Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer
11/99Videos showing the QFES response to major bushfires at Wallangarra
12/99Jolene Nelson Facebook post says "Stay safe Wallangarra, Wyberba, Ballandean,Tenterfield and Dalveen friends... This was 1pm today, can only imagine what it's like now"
13/99Videos showing the QFES response to major bushfires at Wallangarra.
14/99Wallangarra bushfire from Facebook.
15/99Wildlife carer Bryanna Carter with a joey saved from the fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
16/99Western Downs regional council rural services coordinator Carissa Hallinan with her crew at the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
17/99Fire truck at the staging point for the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
18/99Resident watching the fires around his property near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
19/99Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
20/99Aerial waterbomber over the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
21/99Tara fires staging point. Picture: Liam Kidston
22/99Jean Thomson lost her home in the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
23/99Fire damage near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
24/99Ambulance officers rescue a couple lost dogs from the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
25/99Ambulance officers rescue a couple lost dogs from the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
26/99A kangaroo escapes the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
27/99Mitch Kelly lost his house in the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston
28/99Fire damage near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
29/99Fire damage near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
30/99Fire damage near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
31/99Scene picture of the fire occurring at Gunpowder near Mt Isa. Picture: Facebook
32/99Fire damaged property on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
33/99Fire damaged property on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
34/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
35/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
36/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
37/99Property manager Matthew Brown at the fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
38/99Property manager Kate Brown with daughter Lucy after evacuating their property on Halliford Road west of Dalby due to fire. Picture: Liam Kidston
39/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
40/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
41/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
42/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
43/99Property manager Matthew Brown at the fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
44/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
45/99Fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
46/99Local resident escaping the fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
47/99Property manager Matthew Brown at the fire on Halliford Road west of Dalby. Picture: Liam Kidston
48/99Busy petrol station during town evacuation due to fire, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
49/99Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh, Town hall evacuation meeting, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
50/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grass fire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Picture QFES
51/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grassfire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Heavy machinery is helping to create fire breaks. The fire has burned through more than 2500 hectares.
52/99QFES Supplied footage of a bushfire burning at Tara.
53/99Wildlife carer Chris Mansell was able to escape from her Wieambilla home as fires struck with her dogs in a car but had to leave behind kangaroos and horses.
54/99Western Downs SES work to fight the blaze on Weitzels Rd in Tara. Picture: Western Downs SES
55/99Pink aerial fire retardant dropped outside Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
56/99Fire on Upper Humbug Rd near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
57/99Wieambilla resident Chris Mansell was able to escape the fire with just her and her dogs.
58/99Waterbombing aircraft over Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
59/99Dalby Events Centre and Showgrounds have been transformed into evacuation centres for Tara fire victims.
60/99Town hall evacuation meeting, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
61/99Dalby Events Centre and Showgrounds have been transformed into evacuation centres for Tara fire victims.
62/99Wildlife carer Chris Mansell was able to escape from her Wieambilla home as fires struck with her dogs in a car but had to leave behind kangaroos and horses.
63/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grassfire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Heavy machinery is helping to create fire breaks. The fire has burned through more than 2500 hectares.
64/99Wildlife carer Chris Mansell was able to escape from her Wieambilla home as fires struck with her dogs in a car but had to leave behind kangaroos and horse.
65/99Town hall evacuation meeting, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
66/99Superintendent Wayne Waltisbuhl during the town hall evacuation meeting, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
67/99A bushfire spreading throughout the back of a property on Billabong Lane, Wieambilla. Picture: Contributed
68/99Dalby Events Centre and Showgrounds turned into evacuation centres for Tara fire victims.
69/99Western Downs SES work to fight the blaze on Weitzels Rd in Tara. Picture: Western Downs SES
70/99Superintendent Wayne Waltisbuhl during the town hall evacuation meeting, Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
71/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grass fire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Picture QFES
72/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grass fire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Picture QFES
73/99Wildlife carer Chris Mansell was able to escape from her Wieambilla home as fires struck with her dogs in a car but had to leave behind kangaroos and horse.
74/99Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grassfire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara.
75/99An aerial view of the bushfire sweeping Tara, October 2023. Picture: QFES
76/99A Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade vehicle responding to the Beerwah bushfire. Picture: Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade
77/99A Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade vehicle responding to the Beerwah bushfire. Picture: Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade
78/99Aratula Rural Fire Brigade at Cypress Gardens.
79/99Aratula Rural Fire Brigade at Cypress Gardens.
80/99Aratula Rural Fire Brigade at Cypress Gardens.
81/99A large bushfire at Tara. Photo: Supplied
82/99Fire Area Support Officer Daniel Sanderman in the fire zone of the recent bushfires at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast. Picture Lachie Millard
83/99A Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade vehicle responding to the Beerwah bushfire. Picture: Beerwah Rural Fire Brigade
84/99QFES Supplied footage of a bushfire burning at Tara.
85/99Fire damaged home on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
86/99Screen grabs from QFES from aerial vision over the fires at Tara.
87/99Aerial firefighting operation at Tara Aerodrome. Picture: Liam Kidston
88/99Fire damaged home and car on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
89/99Staging point for fire and emergency services near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
90/99Taylah McKenzie, who lost her home in the Tara fires. Photo: 7News
91/99Staging point for fire and emergency services near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
92/99Fire damaged home on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
93/99Fire damaged home on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
94/99Staging point for fire and emergency services near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
95/99QFES Supplied footage of a bushfire burning at Tara.
96/99It was another busy night for crews battling a large bushfire at Deepwater, south of Agnes Water. Picture QFES
97/99Fire damaged power pole on Chinchilla Tara Road near Tara. Picture: Liam Kidston
98/99QFES Supplied footage of a bushfire burning at Tara.
99/99It was another busy night for crews battling a large bushfire at Deepwater, south of Agnes Water. Picture QFES