‘Heartbreaking’, says PM as more homes are razed by ferocious bushfire

A deadly blaze west of Brisbane has destroyed more Queensland homes than the 2019 Black Summer fires, amid fears even more will be lost.

Firefighters are battling extreme conditions, with the prime minister warning of a “difficult summer” ahead.

Anthony Albanese flew into Queensland on Tuesday to pledge his support for bushfire victims dealing with the Western Downs blaze’s “heartbreaking scenes”.

The Tara fire has been burning for more than a week, claiming one life and forcing hundreds to evacuate.

Wind gusts of up to 40km/h and 37C heat have made conditions even worse for crews trying to contain the erratic blaze, prompting an extreme fire danger warning.

More destroyed homes have been discovered in the region, with the tally now sitting at 53 - four more than the Black Summer fires claimed across Queensland.

“Some areas are still too hot to get into. Unfortunately, we are expecting that number to go up,” Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh told AAP.

“It’s going to be a very dangerous day for fighting fires.”

About 120 firefighters and almost 30 trucks are battling the Tara blaze on Tuesday with aerial support.

There are about 70 fires burning across Queensland on Tuesday.

Overall, there have been 900 across the state in the past 10 days.

Albanese said relief crews from Victoria and New Zealand were on their way to relieve exhausted firefighters.

He urged people to monitor safety advice to avoid further tragedy.

“These are heartbreaking scenes when people lose their houses,” he told reporters at Bundaberg.

“We’ve seen tragically a loss of life. I again say to people in fire areas that when authorities provide advice, please follow the advice.

“This is a difficult period, and it’s going to be a difficult summer.”

Almost 300 people on the Western Downs were forced to flee their homes and attend evacuation centres at Dalby and Chinchilla.

About 30 remain, with some returning to their homes away from the fire front.

However, many have lost everything.

McVeigh said some Tara evacuees had been relocated to motels or houses across the region from Miles, Dalby, Chinchilla and as far as Toowoomba, more than a two-hour drive away.

“Some have been able to return to their properties but unfortunately, there is so much damage,” he said.

Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon was in Dalby on Tuesday to discuss alternative accommodation options for those left homeless.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt was due to visit Tara.

A recovery centre is being set up in Tara with the community at “stretching point”, McVeigh said.

There is federal government support available with one-off payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child are on offer through the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment as well as a disaster recovery allowance.

Albanese expected more than 40,000 recovery claims to be made after the fires, which have spanned from the north-west to the state’s south.

The Queensland government has already offered financial assistance to affected families and also unveiled support for primary producers.

They can access concessional loans up to $250,000 and freight assistance up to $5000.

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

Leave immediately warnings are in place for Tara and surrounding areas as well as Kinkuna near Bundaberg north of Brisbane.

Total fire bans are in place for 64 of Queensland’s 77 local government areas.

- AAP

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