Residents told to evacuate as state burns

RESIDENTS were last night being told to evacuate or to be ready to leave their communities as bushfires continued to grip the state.

At Lowmead, north of Bundaberg, residents were told to leave as a bushfire travelled south. Fires at Captain Creek, north of Lowmead, and at Karara, west of Warwick, also led to authorities warning residents to prepare to leave.

About 115 fires were still burning across Queensland last night with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warning the next 24 hours would be crucial for several blazes including one on Stradbroke Island that could spread to Russell Island early this morning, thanks to forecast wind changes.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack yesterday toured the bushfire- affected areas around Eungella and Finch Hatton.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said the fires in the region were “uncharted territory”.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said, adding today’s forecast was a high risk of fire. “It could flare up again at any stage. Right now we’ve got northeasterly winds … as long as they stay that will turn a lot of the fires back on themselves.”

Bureau of Meteorology Queensland manager Bruce Gunn said rain was expected tomorrow in some parts of coastal Queensland, including the Wide Bay, Burnett and the Central Coast and Whitsundays, that would bring some relief from the heat. Queenslanders were yesterday urged to stay cool as the heatwave continued to grip the state.