A lull but no end to QLD bushfire crisis
Queensland’s bushfire crisis is far from over but exhausted firefighters hope to finally gain the upper hand as extreme conditions ease.
Thousands of people fled their homes on Wednesday, amid the worst fire conditions the state has ever seen.
The premier says it is remarkable that no lives have been lost and that entire communities that were in the path of raging bushfires have been spared.
But she warns the danger is not over, with days of very high temperatures ahead and more than 100 fires still burning across the state.
Annastacia Palaszczuk was clearly elated yesterday as she revealed that all 8000 residents who fled Gracemere, near Rockhampton, had homes to return to after a courageous fight to save their town.
‘‘(There is) relief, joy, everyone should just be so happy today,’’ she said.
‘‘That town was in the direct line of fire and it is amazing to think that that town is completely saved.’’
But there was frustration too as the premier took at shot at residents of Rules Beach and Deepwater, further south, who initially refused police orders to get out as a blaze raged towards their communities.
That fire cut the only access road and SES crews had to go in by boat to get the last few people to safety.
‘‘Everybody got out safely. In the end they did listen,’’ the premier said.
Later she was more pointed: ‘‘Some people are not getting the message.’’
Roads have only just reopened into the community of Mt Larcom, inland from Gladstone.
Fire authorities fear structures have been lost there.
The premier has said it’s too early to say how many homes might have been lost overall, but some went in the Deepwater area, others at Finch Hatton, west of Mackay.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said 104 fires were burning yesterday morning, down from about 200 on Wednesday.
But that number is expected to rise over the course of the day.
‘‘I’ll be comfortable when it’s down to around 50, although that’s still a high number to have,’’ he told ABC radio.
‘‘That town was in the direct line of fire and it is amazing to think that that town is completely saved.’’ Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland premier