Fires grip mainland
Busy fireys brace for more outbreaks
MORE than 150 fires continue to burn across Queensland and New South Wales — leaving at least three people dead, 40 injured and more than 150 homes destroyed.
And worse may be to come with Sydney facing a “catastrophic” fire danger rating for the first time in a decade.
AUTHORITIES are bracing for severe fire conditions on Wednesday and say there is no real end in sight for this year’s horror Queensland fire season as more than 50 blazes continued to burn across the state including in areas that have not burned for decades.
Homes and sheds were destroyed on the Sunshine Coast and in a blaze burning at Cobraball north of Rockhampton, with many of the 51 fires burning yesterday expected to continue to pose a problem for firefighters today.
A historic state of fire emergency declared in 42 council areas on Saturday night will likely remain in place at least until the end of the week – and potentially stretch into next week – as authorities prepare for worsening conditions.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there would be a constant fire danger over the next week with Wednesday expected to be a “very serious day”.
“We have had a briefing today from the Bureau (of Meteorology) as well and we are not expecting much rainfall until December and on to next year,” she said.
The bureau is forecasting “very high fire dangers” are expected to persist in much of eastern Queensland in the next few days, including Wednesday when temperatures are expecting to spike.
“Severe fire dangers likely to return about parts of southern and southeastern Queensland on Tuesday and Wednesday next week as temperatures and winds increase ahead of a cold front moving eastwards across the state,” the BOM has forecast.
Acting Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Mike Wassing said the fire season started in August and could stretch into next year with no real rain on the horizon.
Mr Wassing said the dry conditions meant firefighters were battling blazes in areas that traditionally do not burn.
He said a major fire burning north of Rockhampton was the culmination of two blazes that had joined together and would continue to remain an issue for some time.
A teenage boy suffered serious burns while defending his family home at Cobraball. The 16-year-old, who has been the only injury reported from the fires, was taken to hospital with burns to his left leg.