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Queensland's bushfire season has been ushered in with a week of intense fire activity.
The state has been warned to prepare for what's likely to be the worst fire season since Black Summer.
Authorities are still concerned about lingering "complacency" in more suburban parts of the state and among tourists.
Shaune Toohey, the Rural Fire Service's manager of bushfire mitigation for Brisbane, singled out residents living in "fringe or interface areas" – on the outskirts of the city or in urban areas where there's more greenery.
"Between the bushland and the high-density areas people do become a bit complacent about what their actual risk is," he said.
"We haven't had a bushfire season since about 2020 so it's probably at the back of people's minds.
"The season's only just starting and we're going to be in it for the long haul."
How to prepare for bushfires
For those living in cities or urban areas, bushfires "are not an everyday scenario", Mr Toohey said, so they're often met with stress and confusion
"You do get that fight or flight mentality," he said.
"The big part is to take a couple of deep breaths, have a read through the warning — there'll be a range of dot points within there that we're asking you to do."
Lower-level warnings include advice to start: regularly tuning in for updates, telling your family and neighbours in the area about what's happening, and deciding where you'll go if you have to leave.
High-level warnings with evacuation orders include advice on roads to avoid and lists of areas affected by the fire.
So, it's important to understand the details before taking any action.
Have a plan
It's the mantra leading into the fire season, and one that Mr Toohey said was relevant for all Queenslanders – even those outside traditional bushfire country.
"People need to understand what they need to do as a household to be prepared to support their own household and their own safety during that risk," he said.
QFES recommends a plan that:
- Identifies which people and animals need to evacuate early
- Nominates a safe place to travel to that's far from the fire (for instance a family member or friend's place, a sports ground, oval, shopping centre or CBD)
QFES also recommends assembling an evacuation kit with your necessities like phone chargers, blankets, ID, clothes, and medications.
Understand where you're holidaying
Fire season coincides with busy school holiday periods, and popular holiday destinations like Moreton, Fraser and Stradbroke islands are more prone to fires.
"A part we look at in our bushfire mitigations space is our vulnerable communities, and tourism plays a part of that," Mr Toohey said.
"At the moment it's school holidays. We've got a lot of a big injection of Victorians and NSW people into Queensland and along our coastal islands.
"It's a critical time to be prepared and have an understanding of the landscape you're moving into to have your holiday."
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