’Leave now’ orders for Qld fires

THE bushfire emergency in central Queensland has flared up with residents in the path of the massive Deepwater blaze told to leave immediately last night.

Strong winds and high temperatures have tested exhausted firefighters battling more than 110 blazes across the state yesterday.

Authorities issued the warning for people in the Winfield area, south of Baffle Creek, where embers are expected to have an impact from the Deepwater fire burning to the north. Further west, residents in Lowmead have been told to leave with the same blaze expected to hit the rural community of 225 people.

More than 160 firefighting crews are battling the blazes, with bushfires at Deepwater and Eungella, in central Queensland, Tinnanbar, on the Fraser Coast, Karara, near Warwick in the state’s south, and North Stradbroke Island, of most concern.

Regional incident controller Mark Stuart said conditions in central Queensland had deteriorated, with crews battling 52 wildfires amid wind gusts of up to 50km/h.

“We have so many significant fires at the moment that all have their own difficulties whether that’s the terrain or the fuel loading,” he said.

At Carmila, 100km south of Mackay, residents have been told to prepare to leave as a large bushfire bears down on the coastal community of about 400 people.