Tara residents call for local refuge after bushfires wreck rural Queensland community

ABC NEWS (Australia)

More than 60 bushfires continue to burn across Queensland and hundreds of residents have been evacuated in the western downs and sunshine coast. There are multiple warnings across the state with people being told to prepare to leave up north near Mount Isa in central Queensland near Carnarvon Gorge and Miriam Vale and in Biggenden in the North Burnett region. Late today a fire at Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast was again upgraded to emergency. In Tara one of the worst hit areas dozens of people are homeless and police have confirmed at around 40 houses have been destroyed.

Transcript

00:00 In Lansborough on the Sunshine Coast, residents have been told to leave for the second time

00:06 in two days.

00:07 "What we've had today is small pockets of fire coming out of the bush, running up onto

00:13 the back of private property."

00:15 This morning planes dropped fire retardant overblazers still burning in the area.

00:20 "I heard it come through twice in about 10 minutes.

00:24 It flew down maybe only about 20 metres above us and dropped a heap of pink fire retardant

00:29 stuff over the top so yeah, that's pretty crazy."

00:30 Tonight, they're on high alert.

00:33 "This fire front over the back here, heading towards Hardwood Road, has really picked up

00:38 and they continue to water bomb it and stuff so there's still a bit going on."

00:43 Jason Brown is exhausted.

00:46 Like many Tara residents, homeless and sleeping rough.

00:48 "This is the only pen that I could quickly make up for my dogs.

00:52 My mate sleeps on there, in the back of the trailer.

00:55 Maxine sleeps in the fourby."

00:57 He's angry.

00:58 About the lack of information from authorities about the fires that ripped through their

01:02 community, destroying around 40 homes.

01:05 "And I think the whole town is that devastated and angry because there's lack of communication

01:13 from police and council."

01:15 With the nearest evacuation centre an hour away in Dolby, and difficult to reach, dozens

01:21 of locals are looking for shelter.

01:22 "These residents are living in their cars because there is nowhere to stay here, the

01:28 pub is booked out and they can't get to Dolby.

01:33 So of course everyone's emotions are running extremely high."

01:36 "Certain sections of Tara opened up today for members of the community to go and make

01:40 an assessment of their property."

01:42 But with several active fires still burning in the region, and many power lines down,

01:48 authorities say they have no idea when others can return home.

01:51 "Return with caution, it doesn't mean you can sort of rest, you've really got to be

01:54 aware of what happens.

01:55 At the moment's notice we can reissue another warning to say the fire is active and running

01:59 again and you may need to enact your bushfire survival plan."

02:02 Today fire crews were making the most of a break in the weather, with cooler temperatures

02:07 and less wind.

02:08 They were finally able to start backburning and preparing for this week, when temperatures

02:13 are expected to soar.

02:15 "Typically we try to use backburning where we can.

02:18 Removing fuel ahead of the fire is a very effective way of creating a buffer."

02:22 A high fire danger remains in place across the state.

02:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended