The warning of ‘catastrophic’ bushfires this spring has put thousands of Australians on alert
- Residents of South East Queensland called on people to brace themselves for bushfires
- Fire brigade and emergency services are preparing for the dry spring
Residents of southern Queensland are being warned for the first time in nearly three years to brace themselves for catastrophic bushfires.
On Monday, residents of the Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions, including Toowoomba and Warwick, will face the highest fire threat.
The neighboring regions of Maranoa and Warrego will also be subject to a rating of extreme, the second highest under the new national rating system.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Superintendent Tony Johnstone said the catastrophic rating meant fires could be ‘uncontrollable’.
“Resources (rescuers) may need to step back and let things burn until it actually gets to a safe place,” Mr Johnstone told the ABC.
Depending on the recently introduced national wildfire classification system, this classification also means that lives could be lost if conditions on the ground deteriorate.
Southeast Queensland residents have been warned to brace for ‘catastrophic’ bushfires from Monday, with the Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions facing the highest fire threat
The Bureau of Meteorology warned last week that large parts of Australia should prepare for a dry and warm spring after one of the hottest winters on record.
Bureau of Meteorology climate services manager, Dr Karl Braganza, said there will be unseasonably warm days in almost all areas this spring.
“The forecast shows that most areas have a high chance of experiencing below-average rainfall, and many areas have an increased chance of an unusually dry spring,” he said.
“The recent wildfires in Canada and Hawaii underline the risks, particularly the catastrophic potential of fires near urban areas during periods of low rainfall.”
BOM has not yet declared an official El Nino weather event, but said on Thursday it was likely to occur during the Australian spring this year.
Conditions are expected to ease in Queensland on Tuesday, with the hazard rating for the two affected regions dropping to extreme and high respectively.
Queensland Fire emergency services (pictured) warned the fires could be ‘uncontrollable’, with lives potentially lost if conditions on the ground deteriorate
Inland Queensland, which will face a high threat level from the Maranoa to the Gulf state on Monday, conditions will also ease to high or moderate threat levels.
For Mr Johnstone and the firefighters already on the ground in south-east Queensland, the change will come as limited relief as seasonal firefighting efforts are already underway.
“This year we’re seeing more grass fires escalate quickly, and as we saw yesterday on a number of jobs, we had to respond quickly to keep those grass fires down,” he told the ABC.
“People on land are probably aware of the warm conditions and are prepared for it. But it’s the bystanders and the other people traveling through it who should be aware of this.
“If you come to smoke, don’t slow down. That could be a firefighter or someone who works on the side of the road. We would hate to see you involved in a catastrophic event.’
In NSW, conditions will be moderate, with high threat levels forecast for the northern parts of the state on Tuesday, while Western Australia’s southern interior will face an extreme threat level.