Bushfires in the QLD: Residents have been invited to leave now for Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach, Oyster Creek and Finch Hatton

The communities of Deepwater and the surrounding Queensland Central Coast have been ordered to leave immediately as the bush fire continues to progress.

"I know some people may not want to leave their homes. I know the situation is extremely difficult, but I need you to listen to the authorities and for you to leave immediately, "said Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk this afternoon.

Extreme conditions are expected Wednesday in the state, as the heat wave continues.

A trough moving from the west to the coast is of particular concern.

"It generates storms and lightning, but unfortunately not much rain. So these flashes of fire are a chance to trigger other fires as they head for the coast, "said Bruce Gunn, Queensland State Manager of the Bureau of Meteorology.

"That's what we do inland and closer to shore tomorrow. There is drier air behind this hollow and this only increases the danger of fire, as well as instability, which creates a very powerful and dangerous situation. "

QFES inspector Andrew Sturgess said it was unprecedented conditions in Queensland.

"We have a combination of dangerous elements that align tomorrow. Wind changes, instability, fire storms, many stains in front of fires are not a bad day, they are record conditions, they are extreme conditions like we've never seen previously in Queensland. "

The government has made the rare move to inform all mayors of the state, pending these dangerous conditions on Wednesday.

QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said 107 people from NSW had been deployed in the Agnes Water area and additional badistance was planned.

A further 100 officers will arrive from NSW in the coming days, while Carroll said that 225 officers have been requested elsewhere.

"What we have is the combination of the most horrible conditions in the next 48 hours," she said.

"The combination of climate, heat and fire is absolutely horrible.

"The heat wave has been going on for several days. It does not rain and there is no respite. "

The weather bureau has forecast extreme heat wave conditions from Thursday Island to Toowoomba.

Cities between the Northern Territory border and the East Coast should experience temperatures above 40C until Monday. Townsville recorded its hottest day in November yesterday at 41.7 ° C.

As Queensland's worst bush fire erupted on his property, Deepwater's Mark Reiser had only enough time to take a picture of his children and his girlfriend, Emily the Joey.

Reiser is one of more than 1,500 displaced people in the Deepwater community, about 60 km north of Bundaberg, from unprecedented bush fires.

Last night, students and teachers were forced to shelter in a clbadroom at Eungella Elementary School after the closure of roads.

UPDATE: The residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek were asked to leave immediately, as bush fires continued to progress, so it is likely that it will soon be too dangerous to drive.

The latest advice from QFES is that the extremely large and intense fire is heading southwest towards Muller Road and is expected to impact the aforementioned communities.

All residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek must evacuate west to Miriam Vale using Tableland Road and Fingerboard Road, QFES said.

The Hills Rd, Coast, Oyster Creek and Baffle Creek Road crossing is in imminent danger.

QFES said the conditions are now very dangerous and that firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the fire from spreading.

"Fire can be a threat to all lives directly in its path," reads a statement.

"Fire crews may not be able to protect your property."

Craig Magick, Gladstone's Regional Director for Rural Fire Department, said it was possible that access to these areas be cut off.

"It is possible that the bridge outside Deepwater will be affected and, if so, it will be cut off from all traffic during this time.

"If the bridge is cut, people will get stuck in this area during the fire.

"It's a precaution at the moment, we do not expect it to happen, but as I said before, this fire is pretty unpredictable and we're doing everything we can to keep it inside. containment lines. "

EARLIER: Another community is now deemed threatened by bushfires in Queensland after police declared an emergency zone in an area around the town of Finch Hatton, 57 km west of Mackay.

A statement from the Queensland Police Service stated that the statement was made under the Public Safety and Preservation Act at 3:40 pm

Residents of the city are urged to attend the Finch Hatton Exhibition Center, which is now an evacuation center, and register with the authorities.

The reporting area "encompbades the boundaries of Cattle Creek in the north; Debonis Rd to the west; Seninis Rd to the east and Dalrymple Range to the south, "the statement said.

EARLIER: The first images of the devastation caused by a fire in central Queensland reveal that several houses were destroyed and many more damaged.

Queensland fire and emergency services plan to find more than four homes destroyed, as this area is occupied by people living in vans or tents.

An investigation into the destruction took place this afternoon as the Boeing 737 water bomber made more than 15,000 liters of drops on the sky.

Firefighters on the ground claim that one of the biggest challenges has been the rapid change in wind direction.

At all times the conditions remained motionless, but a rapid gust appeared, causing small fires in dry vegetation.

Properties along Pacific Drive in Deepwater are among the hardest hit today.

The light continues to flow southwesterly towards the townships of Baffle Creek, Oyster Creek and Rules Beach.

Most residents sought refuge in nearby towns, Agnes Water and Miriam Vale, but other landowners remained in the fire zone to defend their homes.

Fire conditions will intensify around the communities of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek, as Queensland and Interstate firefighters arrive to help fight the storm. 39; fire.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued a statement at 7:20 am, reaffirming that residents of the area should follow their bushfire survival plans.

"The progress of the fire has slowed overnight but is expected to intensify throughout the day and head south-west," the statement said.

A spokesman for QFES said forty crews were on the ground in Deepwater and on the separate firing point at Round Hill.

He added that residents of the areas affected by the "watch and act" alert should take into account the authorities' opinion, as the situation is expected to deteriorate continuously today.

"He is still moving to these communities and this is currently impacting the Deepwater community," the spokesman said.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicted that the weather conditions for the fires around Agnes Waters and Deepwater would ease slightly today, with north winds of 20 to 30 km / h bringing some amount of fire. humidity in the atmosphere. The current forecast increase for the region is 30 ° C.

"Less dry wind from the west than we had yesterday and more sea breeze," said a spokesman for the Bureau.

The spokesman warned that tomorrow would bring warmer conditions to the firezone (34-35C), as well as dry westerly winds that would make fire fighting difficult.

"The day will be very volatile in terms of weather conditions conducive to fire," said the spokesman.

A Firebird helicopter, capable of extracting bush fires from the sky, would be en route to the area declared last night as a disaster area.

Emergency services confirmed that two houses were destroyed, although some media said this morning that four of them may have been burned down.

EARLIER Queensland fire and emergency services have asked residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek townships in central Queensland to leave now, as a dangerous bush fire threatens again the region.

According to the latest QFES recommendations, the fire is currently moving south-southwest from Capricornia Drive and Pacific Drive to Deepwater towards Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek.

"This fire is currently affecting the community of Deepwater and should begin to reach Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek within the next four hours," says the last council.

"Fire could have a significant impact on all communities.

"All residents of Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek are expected to evacuate west to Miriam Vale using Tableland Road and Fingerboard Road. The evacuation center is the Miriam Vale Community Center located at 41 Blomfield Street. "

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford signed the Gladstone Local Government Area disaster declaration Monday afternoon, including the Baffle Creek watershed regions. Wartburg, Deepwater, Agnes Water, Round Hill, Miriam Vale and Bororen.

Residents said to "leave now

The heat wave before the beginning of summer

Couple escaping from 'thunder and roaring'

"These areas are seriously threatened by a fire or have already been affected and the disaster declaration will ensure that the necessary agencies, including fire and emergency services and the police, have the necessary powers to respond. effectively, "he said.

"This includes giving the police the power to forcibly return residents and prevent them from returning home until the situation is completely safe."

Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk was briefed this afternoon and said that Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Deepwater were areas of concern as the fire moved south.

"If you live in these areas, you have to listen to the authorities and you have to leave," she said.

"If you're gone, do not come back.

"Some people may want to go back, this fire intensity and the smoke conditions created by this fire pose a risk to the health and safety of people.

"Queensland is going through an unprecedented heat wave.

"We have temperatures in our state between 6 and 10 degrees higher than ever before at this time of the year.

"We now have more than 70 forest fires in our state.

"All our crews do everything they can.

"We have reinforcements coming from New South Wales.

"One hundred more firefighters will be on the front line tomorrow. They have already sent the Coulson 737, the water bomber plane.

"I will also be contacting Prime Minister Daniel Andrews to find out if Victoria can also build capacity."

QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the perimeter of the fire had been extended to 66 km.

"For those who have left the country, we do not think that they will return home in the next few days," she said.

Deepwater has 45 ground trucks and seven aircraft coming from above, she added.

Deep-sea residents can now register at "Register.Find.Reunite", a service of the Australian Red Cross.

"If you have been touched, register now to inform your friends and family of your wishes or to find out if your loved ones are in good health," police said.

"To register or find someone, click on the link and follow the instructions online.

"A hotline is also available on: 1800 442 182"

Photographer John Wilson flew over Deepwater during the night and there were localized fires between Baffle Creek and Agnes Water, as well as threatening properties in the area.

"All along the coast, there were occasional fires, as far as the eye can see," he said. And (there was) a thick smoke … it seemed rather disturbing.

"It must have been strange enough (on the floor). We flew over the water and everything was clear … and (looking inland), it was like a big curtain of smoke floating along the coast. "