Bushfires are continuing to burn in multiple Queensland regions, with several emergency warnings still in place after police declared a three-hour public emergency for an out-of-control blaze in Beerwah State Forest.
People in Tara, Wieambilla and The Gums have been instructed to leave their homes immediately, and residents in Condamine, Barramornie, Kogan, Montrose North, Carnarvon Gorge, Buckland, Consuelo and Rewan are being warned to prepare to leave.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) say it is still not safe for residents in Tara, Montrose North, Colosseum and Mount Tom (near Miriam Vale) to return home.
Fire under control after three-hour public emergency
A dangerous bushfire flared up in the Sunshine Coast on Saturday night, with police declaring a public emergency around 7.30pm as a fire in the Beerwah State Forest near Landsborough flared out of control.
Evacuations were ordered from Steve Irwin Way to Hardwood, Forestry, and Dianella Roads, and locals were directed towards the Landsborough School of Arts.
The township of Beerwah and Australia Zoo were also on high alert.
The emergency declaration was revoked at 10.30pm after firefighters managed to control the blaze.
Locals desperate to return home
Many local residents want to return to their homes and assess the damage but, in many cases, are being told to stay away until authorities can be sure it’s safe.
Johann Lottering found out earlier this week that his home had been lost after being sent some photos of its remains.
“I had a pair of clothes, my phone and my three dogs,” he said.
“When we got to the gate, the police were there and said we better move fast.”
Johann’s daughter, who lives in Brisbane, has been collecting donations and transporting them out to Tara for those in need — not just her own family, but for the entire community.
He and his wife, who are originally from South Africa, moved to Tara six years ago after spending some time in Sydney when they first moved to Australia.
“We just decided that the country is better than the city,” he said.
“We landed in Tara, and we’re happy out here … We were happy.”
Their home was uninsured.
More than 30 homes in the Tara region have been destroyed — Josh Reilly’s was very nearly one of them.
Fire came within metres of his home but, thanks to some recent bulldozing works, it didn’t take hold of the house itself.
“The whole property is burned out from the front to the back,” he said.
“We’re really lucky compared to other people, we’re totally lucky.
“Other people copped a battering.”
Queensland Police Service’s Jeremy Sheldrick said work is commencing to develop temporary housing for those in need across the Western Downs, as 266 people seek shelter at the Dalby evacuation centre and 42 remain at the one in Chinchilla.
“Planning is underway, at this point in time, for that to occur — that’s a joint arrangement that is continuing through our local disaster management groups to ensure that public safety is number one and no one’s going to get hurt,” he said.
“We want to make sure that they go back into a safe environment.”
Residents refusing to evacuate putting ‘a lot of stress’ on fire crews
On Saturday afternoon, Fire and Rescue Service Inspector Kent Barron said work would continue today in the north-western corner of the Tara fire.
He said fire in Moonie had burned within containment lines with thanks to a collaboration with landholders who were able to conduct some small back burns.
Rural Fire Service Divisional Commander Inspector Joe Cullen said the Tara fire was still burning fiercely and moving quickly as of Saturday afternoon.
“The fuel is so dry, it’s moving forward unimpeded to the west,” he said.
Inspector Cullen said it was difficult for firefighters to know who had left and who had stayed behind to try and save their houses on their own.
“There are a number of residents who have decided to stay and try to defend. That’s putting a lot of stress on our crews,” he said.
“We’re asking people to leave immediately. It’s a really, really dangerous situation to be in.
“It’s dangerous for our crews, and they have all the equipment and training. We really need residents of the are to make the decision to stay out of the way of the fire, so our crews don’t have to have extra people around they have to protect.”
Inspector Cullen said the fire may reach the Leichhardt Highway within days if it keeps moving at a similar pace.
Earlier this weekend, Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard said the fires were igniting and moving quickly.
“We want to keep everyone safe,” she said on Saturday.
“We also want to keep our precious national parks safe, as well as our Rural Fire Services and our Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
“I want to give a big shout-out to our incredible rangers who are very specialised in keeping these previous environmental areas safe.”