Community members in the Mount Binga area near Blackbutt are being urged to be prepared to leave as authorities monitor a bushfire in the area.
The Queensland Fire Department has reported a large, fast-moving fire burning near Kooralgin Mount Binga Road as of Tuesday afternoon, 7 October.
QFD issued a ‘watch and act’ warning at 2.05pm, warning nearby residents that conditions could get worse quickly.
Firefighters are currently working to control the fire, and residents are reminded that they should not expect a firefighter at their door.
QFD reported that some properties are at risk and the fire is likely to impact the community in the coming hours.
Any burning embers may reach nearby properties and residents are urged to try and put them out quickly with water.
The community are reminded that roads may be closed or impacted by the fire, and smoke may make it difficult to breathe and hard to see when you are driving.
Firefighting aircraft have been deployed to assist the ground crews.
If your life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Avoid smoke warnings for Gilla, near Mount Binga Road, and Googa Creek, near Spelling Gully Road and Dyer Road, are still current from Monday, 6 October.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
– If you have a bushfire survival plan, follow it now.
– Prepare now so you can leave quickly if the bushfire gets close:
– Decide where you and the people you live with will go. This could be with family or a friend away from the fire. Plan how you will get there. Tell others where you will go.
– Charge mobile phones and power banks.
– Be ready to take your pets, pet food, pet lead or crate/carrier.
– Pack a bag with a mobile phone charger, enough clothes for five days, important documents (like ID, insurance papers, passports and photos), medicine, cash and keys.
– If you do not drive, call your support service, a family member or a friend to organise transport if you need to leave or want to leave.
– If you find it hard to move quickly, leaving now is your safest option.
– Avoid driving on Kooralgin Mount Binga Road.
– Keep medications close by.
– Move flammable items away from your house if you can.
– Help others if it’s safe to do so.
– Watch out for firefighters working in the area.
– Do not fly drones around the fire. Drones affect air operations.
– Stay informed:
– Keep checking the QFD Current Bushfires and Warnings website.
– Follow QFD on Facebook and X.com.
– Listen to your local radio station.
