Warnings as blazes burn across Queensland
Firefighters are battling more than 60 fires across Queensland amid an unseasonal spring heatwave.
Bushfire conditions have eased today but the threat posed by fires burning across the state is continuing, according to the Queensland Fire Department.
In an update this morning, the department said there were more than 60 fires still burning across Queensland, and multiple warnings in place.
A fire that burned through more than 475 hectares of rugged and steep country at Gilla, near Blackbutt, has required an ongoing effort over the past 10 days.
Meanwhile, thousands of hectares of protected national parkland have been devastated in a blaze sparked by a campfire on Moreton Island.
The massive bushfire broke out on Moreton Island off Queensland on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of 20 campers to the western side of the island on the long weekend.
Emergency crews battled searing temperatures and fierce winds before the bushfire in Moreton National Park was brought under control on Monday.
It impacted about 2300ha on the northern side of Moreton Island, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service said.
It was sparked by a holiday visitor lighting a campfire during a total fire ban. Fire investigators have arrived on the island and have not ruled out changes.
Conditions eased overnight but authorities remained alert with extreme conditions expected to continue across Queensland. Above-average daytime temperatures are forecast as likely for October to December.
“As we enter the warmer months, the risk of heatwaves and bushfire increases,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.
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“There is an elevated risk of fire in Australia’s southeast.”
The Moreton Island fire was among dozens burning across Queensland. The alert level remains as watch and act for two in the Bundaberg region – one in Nearum southwest of Gin Gin and the other near Gaeta Road in Takilberan.
Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) urged Queenslanders to keep an eye on weather conditions, fire bans and warnings this week as crews continue to work.
-with AAP
