Beerwah residents on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast were advised to be ready to flee their homes on Monday, September 18, as plumes of smoke filled the sky from a fast-moving grassfire.
Up to 60 crews of firefighters battled the flames as staff at nearby Australia Zoo remained on high alert as the fire raged on.
WATCH NOW: Bindi Irwin shares video of rescued bats at Australia Zoo. Article continues after video.
At 3:27pm, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued a ‘prepare to leave’ warning for homes between Steve Irwin Way, Irwin Road, Mawsons Road, and the Bruce Highway, including Holt Road.
Local business owner, Tamara Hazelden tells New Idea the scenes were “chaotic.”
RELATED || What does El Nino mean for Australia?
“Helicopters were flying around, we had multiple planes in action dumping water, so we knew it was pretty bad,” says Tamara, 32, who was among community members who delivered daily ute-loads of groceries to firefighters battling the blaze.
“We’re lucky we have the community that we do because it’s terrifying…we have a business that was one kilometre away from the fires, as well as our own residence, so for us we were watching everything unfold.”
“I don’t really have words for what it was like watching the locals – they were all in a frenzy not really knowing what to do.
“It’s all very scary [the fires are] happening early…and our dams are very low right now.”
A spokesperson for Australia Zoo, which borders on the alert zone, confirmed the next day that the venue was safe.
“Australia Zoo is currently safe, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely by working with the emergency services,” they said.
“We also have well-established fire protocols, extensive equipment, and trained personnel here at Australia Zoo.”
It comes after Sydneysiders woke to smoke blanketing the city throughout September as hazard-reduction burning began, while in the Northern Territory, a mega-blaze four times the size of the ACT burned towards residents in the remote town of Tennant Creek.
At the time of publication, several blazes were also active throughout eastern Australia, including a fire near Cessnock in New South Wales’ Hunter Region.
Last week, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) formally declared an El Nino weather event, the first in eight years.
Climate scientists warn Australians can expect hotter and drier conditions that could lead to severe heat waves, droughts, and bushfires, particularly in the east.
“Spring bushfire outlook shows [an] increased risk of fires across most of the Northern Territory, Queensland, northern and coastal New South Wales, and south-eastern and north-western Victoria,” a BOM spokesperson tells New Idea.
“A warmer and drier spring long-range forecast across Australia means people should be prepared for the increased risk of fire across the country.”
