Warning that we’re not out of danger yet
QUEENSLAND was still in flames last night as more than 120 blazes raged across vast areas of the state, threatening almost 20,000 people and 8000 homes.
Despite managing to save the town of Gracemere, near Rockhampton, authorities warn the danger is far from over as extreme heatwave conditions are expected well into next week.
Fresh evacuations were ordered yesterday as strengthening winds reignited fires in several central Queensland communities.
Rockhampton, Mackay and Gladstone were declared disaster zones by the Federal Government.
Thousands of firefighters are still battling blazes across central Queensland and the southeast. Reinforcements have been sent in from NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT.
“It’s not over yet,” state disaster co-ordinator and deputy police commissioner Bob Gee said.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rick Threlfall said the hot and dry weather would continue to make conditions difficult for firefighters as the heatwave was not expected to break for days.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Queensland faced a tough summer, as he praised the “mates standing up for mates” attitude getting people through the bushfires.
He said Emergency Management Australia was preparing material to brief MPs about the summer ahead, including what role they could play to prepare the community for natural disasters.
“It may well be that more homes will come under threat, and we pray they will not be lost, that more hectares could be ravaged, and we pray that won’t happen,” he said. “More lives could be affected, and we’ll pray and do everything we can within our power to ensure that does not occur.”