[adrotate group=”2″]
By HARRY CLARKE
POLICE are hunting arsonists responsible for torching thousands of hectares of land across Queensland’s Western Downs, as deliberately lit fires continue to threaten properties over a vast area between Chinchilla, Kogan and Tara.
Fifty personnel, four water bombing planes and two helicopters have been involved in containing the blaze throughout the Wieambilla forrest area, which began between 10pm Sunday and 3am Monday.
No injuries have occurred and no buildings have been damaged thanks to the work of local volunteer and auxiliary fire fighters, as well as several deployed from the wider region and from South East Queensland.
South West Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) Superintendent Wayne Waltisbuhl said he had no doubt arsonists were responsible for the blaze, as police search for firebugs believed to have been operating on Chinchilla-Kogan Road, Mary’s Road and Old Tara Road on Sunday night.
[adrotate group=”2″]
“They were deliberately lit. We can confirm that,” Waltisbuhl told the Caller.
“It’s pretty obvious. No accidents like that happen, the way they were lit on all separate roads.
“Some of the responding crews saw some other vehicles around the place so police are following up on whether they’re suspicious or not.
“They’re deliberately lit, the way they were sequenced and where they were. Fires don’t occur that far in from the road from a loose wheel bearing on a truck or something like that.”
Up to 10mm of rain which fell over the parts of the area last night has help firefighting officers significantly but a QFES have issued an extremely high fire danger warning for parts of the Darling Downs today.
Waltisbuhl said the region’s fire crews had been busy since bushfires began at Millmerran earlier this month, and that the Western Downs and Goondiwindi council areas remained their biggest concern for the remainder of the fire season.
“Conditions dried out dramatically after Christmas. We noticed a sudden change in the whole countryside. It just dried out badly.
“We’re been operating in this environment since the 9th of January. The Milmerran fire was the first one that had us establishing this command centre here, and we haven’t stopped.”
[adrotate group=”2″]
“Conditions are really hot and tough out there at the moment.
“People need to be really mindful of their environment at the moment, whether they’re operating machinery or equipment in those dry areas. Please be careful and have some sort of extinguishing method.
“There might be other fires popping up as we speak. Don’t assume that that a firefighter is going to be at all of those.
“We’d rather get a Triple-0 call that ends up being a fire we’re already at than not know about it at all.”