Firefighters called to new forest fire

19th November 2009

QUEENSLAND Parks and Wildlife Service crews, who have been working to contain a fire burning in the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park since last Sunday, were yesterday helping Queensland Forestry Plantations on a fire in a pine plantation in Toolara State Forest off Cooloola Way, believed to have been started by lightning.

Department of Environment and Resource Management senior director Terry Harper said the fire in the Great Sandy National Park had destroyed about 19,000 hectares and was still burning even though the area received some patchy rain from a storm on Tuesday night.

But he said no private property or life was currently threatened.

Mr Harper said QPWS had put extensive efforts into establishing containment lines.

“Containment lines, including north of Teewah village, are secure,” he said.

“Crews will continue monitoring the containment lines, mopping up and blacking out.

“Hazard reduction/protection burns conducted earlier in the year by QPWS were an integral part of helping protect life and property at Teewah Village.”

The Teewah Landowner’s Association has called QPWS and passed on the community’s appreciation to all staff involved in the response to the wildfire.

Public access to all areas within burnt areas is still closed including the southern half of Teewah Beach camping area south of Kings Bore Road.

A QPWS mop-up crew is directing campers to relocate camps from the closed camping area and to observe the signage.

At Teewah Beach people should be aware that smoke could be a hazard.