Posted
Ten homes are believed to be lost at Peregian Beach
on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, as the emergency continues and residents
are being told to leave immediately.
Key points:
- The fire at Peregian Beach flared up late yesterday afternoon, and is still burning out of control
- Ten homes are believed to be lost as a result, as the emergency warning remains in place
- It's among 68 fires still burning across the state, including at Lower Beechmont and O'Reilly
A watch and act warning is also in place for residents at Weyba, Castaways Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach and Noosa Springs.
Residents are being told to "prepare to leave" as the same fire moves towards their communities.
Sixty-eight fires are currently burning across the state including blazes at Lower Beechmont and O'Reilly on the Gold Coast, which were both downgraded to "advice" level overnight.
Noosa Local Disaster Co-ordinator Carl Billingham said the fire on the Sunshine Coast remained out-of-control and crews were working fast to contain it.
"We've got about 250-300 people in our three evacuations centres, I believe we've got three fire water bombing helicopters coming in to try and douse the fire where possible and we've got over 70 tenders in attendance of the fire," he said.
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Sunshine Coast acting mayor Tim Dwyer said the situation was still "very, very tricky".
"We've got multiple fire crews on the ground up there at the main fire front," he said.
"At this point in time, one has been confirmed, with a number of houses damaged in that same area ... the full extent won't really be known until the fire is extinguished."
He said all the residents appear to have evacuated the danger areas.
"The glow of the flames in the sky last night, the smell of the fire, the look of the angst on the people, the frustration, the uncertainty, you could see it written all over their places. Really trying times," he said.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk — who is with Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson in Switzerland heading a bid for Queensland to host the 2032 Olympic Games — said she would contemplate returning home as the state's bushfire crisis continued.
"It's constantly playing on my mind, it's gut wrenching but my thoughts are with the people at home," she said.
"We do hope everyone is safe and we just pray everything goes well."
"Holy s*** never experienced the cops knocking on my door telling us to evacuate, was heavy".
Video shows the main street of Peregian Beach this evening.
Video shows the main street of Peregian Beach this evening.
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