Qld braces for new fire threat

QUEENSLAND firefighters are working frantically to strengthen containment lines and fire breaks as the state braces for the fire danger to again ramp up to severe levels.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned conditions will become more dangerous as dry westerlies push hot air across the state today and into the weekend.

Many forced to flee their homes remain in limbo unable to return home. As the fire threat deepens, there has been growing anger after a teenage boy was charged with lighting the Cobraball fire near Yeppoon that has burned for days in central Queensland.

A total of 36 structures — including 14 homes — have been destroyed by the blaze that is still burning.

“I think everyone is angry and disappointed,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“Thankfully there were no lives lost, but it could have been a different story. I think parents need to sit down with their kids and talk about the consequences of their actions.”

Alerts remained in place for Black Snake, in the Gympie region, and the coastal towns of Woodgate and Buxton, south of Bundaberg.

Residents of Noosa North Shore have been allowed to return home after being evacuated twice in a week.

More than 70 fires are burning across the state since the crisis erupted a week ago.

While authorities keep a close eye on the bigger fires, exhausted crews face another challenge as the temperatures rise and the threat intensifies.

The weather bureau warns the westerlies will push dry air back towards the coastal fringe bringing a low-intensity heatwave.

Severe isolated storms cells have also been forecast to potentially bring dry lightning that could ignite further fires.

“The story is one of very high fire dangers or severe fire danger ratings for the next three days over the weekend,” BOM forecaster Richard Wardell said.

Meanwhile in NSW, tributes have been paid to the fourth victim of the NSW bushfires, Barry Parsons, who has been remembered as a “gentle guy”.

Mr Parsons’s body was discovered in bushland on the southern end of the Kyuna Track at Willawarrin, near Kempsey, on Wednesday night.

The 58-year-old was named as the fourth person to die in the bushfires, as emergency services continued to battle almost 60 blazes tearing through the state yesterday.

Mr Parsons’s death follows that of Julie Fletcher, 63, who died in the town of Johns River, and Wytaliba locals Vivian Chaplain, 69, and George Nole.

Total fire bans will be in place today for the far north coast, the north coast, New England, the northern slopes, Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and the central slopes regions.

Almost 60 fires continue to burn around NSW, with about 30 uncontained.