By Leonie Fuge
There is no doubt that the Southern Downs has blazed into fire season after an extra 10 fire trucks were deployed to the region to give local rural firies a much needed rest over the weekend.
“We had support crews from Ipswich and Gold Coast arrive, they were all active over the weekend and supported by two amphibious bombing watercraft,” Rural Fire Service Inspector, Ross Stacey said.
The crews attended two fires that were burning, one at Inglewood and the other at Leslie Dam and monitored the smouldering land at Pratten.
The fire that erupted at Leslie Dam on Saturday had the visiting firefighting crews in attendance from Saturday until Monday morning, working through the night on Saturday.
The inspector reported the fire consumed 60 hectares along Leslie Dam Road and put homes and associated structures at risk.
“In the current period of weather we are seeing fires pick up quickly and develop,” said Inspector Ross.
Two water bombers actively supported the firefighting crews on the ground at Leslie Dam as the bushfire raged.
“Amphibious bombing watercraft are a really useful asset for us, we are lucky to have them,” said Inspector Ross.
“They are quick in the air and when in close proximity to the dam can shift a lot of water quickly, dropping 3000 litres. They are a force multiplier.”
The Rural Fires Service hired the water bombers from a contractor at Meandarra.
Firefighting crews mopped up on Monday morning and handed over properties for landholders to continue monitoring.
The crews were also monitoring Pratten’s smouldering area where two fires broke out and burnt 560 hectares on 17 January. Before the blazes were bought under control, Pratten residents on roads in the pathway of the fires had been put under a ’prepare to leave’ warning.
“Two separate fires burning in the same area is a good indication of how dry it is,” said Inspector Ross.
The inspector suggested machinery use as a possible cause of both fires.
“Mowing and slashing can cause fires,” he said.
“We have gone from fires in late September where the ground was too wet for us to access, to the point where we are now with accidental ignitions.”
“We have crews attending Pratten again today to inspect the area, trees that were caught on fire may take weeks to show as the fire is burning underground. We don’t want fire to break out and catch us by surprise.”
