Easing weather conditions are helping firefighters get on top of dozens of fires rampaging through regional communities across two states that have destroyed dozens of homes and threatened several rural towns.
A cool southerly change is expected to help firefighters in Queensland and New South Wales on Wednesday, leading to lower fire dangers across all major fire zones.
After more than a dozen emergency blazes raged across the two states on Tuesday afternoon that number has been reduced to one, with more than 20 continuing to burn at watch-and-act status.
An emergency warning urging locals at Dalveen, the Glen, Silverwood and Cherry Gully to leave immediately is still current.
More than six crews fought the large fast-moving fire, near Warwick about 160 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, with fire fighters working to protect property along the New England Highway.
As hot temperatures and strong winds whipped up blazes in Queensland and New South Wales yesterday, the small border town of Wallangarra, about 250 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, was narrowly saved from a fast-moving fire.
Last night residents in the town of about 600 people were left without power and were asked to conserve water as service providers raced to restore electricity and communications.
The fire developed so quickly that many residents did not have the chance to evacuate before an order to shelter in place was issued.
Queensland authorities have confirmed four homes have been destroyed. Fire damage assessments will continue in the town today, with warnings those losses could rise.
Wallangarra resident Bryce Wells told the ABC he was scared for his life as the fire raced towards his home.
"The wind just carried it all over here … the Sun was fiery orange, I was pretty terrified," he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk praised the collaborative efforts of firefighters from two states for saving the community, after winds blew the bushfire to the edges of the town late yesterday afternoon.
Footage released by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) showed the blaze within metres of some homes with residents driving vehicles away from the flames.
"The town has been saved … the fire is now going around," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"I want to thank the NSW government … we utilised their large water tanker, their large plane and that has been of tremendous service."
Inspections today will reveal how many properties were lost in Wallangarra as communities in other parts of Queensland continue to count the cost.
'It just went off like a bomb'
In the cross-border town of Jennings, a large bushfire that was burning nearby was one of about 10 in NSW downgraded to watch-and-act status and the community has been told to continue to monitor conditions.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesperson Shellie Smyth said residents from Jennings had been evacuated overnight after an emergency warning was issued.
"There was some active fire in that area and erratic fire behaviour which caused community members from Jennings to be evacuated into Wallangarra,” she said.
There was an RFS truck rollover 10 kilometres south of Jennings this morning and three members were taken to hospital but have since been released.
"Just an example of how dangerous firefighting can be for our crews and thankfully no injuries for them," Ms Smyth said.
Residents of Tenterfield, about 20 kilometres south, had several fires burning at emergency status close to the town of almost 7,000 people on Tuesday night, before one by one they were downgraded to watch and act.
The New England Highway and Bruxner Highway remains closed in the area and people have been told to avoid the area.
Dundee Rural Fire Brigade Captain Tim Alt said the nature of the Scrub Road blaze east of town changed quickly as the wind whipped up on Tuesday afternoon.
"It was a bit lame for a couple of hours, but once this wind got behind this fire, it was some of the scariest stuff I've ever been in," he told ABC News.
"I've never been in scarier stuff, to be quite honest."
He said he was stationed at a nearby property when the fire reached him.
"We didn't think it was going to get there, we thought it was going to bypass us then it just jumped the road, went across the other side of the road, and it was pretty steady coming up the road.
"Once the wind got behind it, it just went off like a bomb. I've never seen anything like it."
Hundreds of firefighters were deployed across central west and northern NSW on Tuesday, as flames burned through Nymboida, Tabulam, Tenterfield, Mudgee and surrounding areas.
Jennings, Nymboida, Drake and Tabulam public schools are closed.
Near Queensland, a fire also burned near the town of Boggabilla on the Moree Plains, while lightning strikes sparked up new fires on both sides of border.
At its peak, there were 10 bushfires ranked at an emergency level throughout the state, risking homes and rural properties.
As of Tuesday night, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) could not confirm whether properties were lost during the day.
RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers attributed the day to "pretty bad fire weather" due to hot and windy conditions.
"Once conditions ease today, we'll then worry about trying to work out how we get containment on these fires because we've got a few benign days," he said.
More homes lost in Tara
The loss of homes around Tara, on Queensland's Western Downs, has now surpassed the total number of homes lost in Queensland during the 2019 Black Summer fire season.
As firefighters have battled blazes in that region for nearly two weeks, 53 homes have been destroyed in the community, which is home to about 2,000 people, compared to 49 across the state in 2019.
Paul McVeigh, mayor of Western Downs Regional Council, said the loss had had a huge impact on the community.
"The resilience of our community is very strong … but to be hit with so much devastation is a real challenge," he said.
"Obviously housing will be our greatest need."
Initially, emergency housing may come in the form of caravans.
The state government is discussing medium and long-term accommodation options, including demountable homes with staff from the departments of housing and communities.
Some people who have lost their homes are staying with friends or family, or in tents or vehicles in town.
Last night the fires continued to burn around Tara and in about 40 other Queensland locations with emergency warnings to leave immediately issued for Dalveen, near Stanthorpe, and Kiamba, near Nambour on the Sunshine Coast.
Earlier yesterday, leave immediately warnings were also issued for Goodwood, south of Bundaberg, with at least one property expected to be lost.
Changing weather conditions
The cool southerly change that will see daytime temperatures drop dramatically is expected to help firefighters across all major fire zones.
An increase in humidity will develop from Friday, leading to showers and thunderstorms across south-east Queensland and NSW.
QFES Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing said it would be watching the storms as they come through to ensure no further fires are ignited.
"Last time we got some storms come through we got approximately 10 new fires from the lightning, so we'll be up early checking for any new fires associated with the storms," he said.
Most of Queensland faces a high fire danger on Wednesday but crews hope easing conditions into the week will allow them to contain the more than 70 vegetation fires currently burning.
Original Story link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-01/nsw-queensland-bushfires-wallangarra-tenterfield-tara/103046252
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