'Blaze happened so fast'

Firefighters moves quickly to redeploy services to FE Walker street where yesterday’s fire threatened houses.

Max Fleet

Special feature

Qld urged to prepare for bushfires

WITH the climate creating dryer conditions once more in south-east Queensland, the threat of bushfires this season is very real.

AN east Bundaberg blaze threatened a home and several industrial sheds as it tore through scrubland yesterday afternoon.

The drama began about 12.20pm when firefighters were called to a fire near Telegraph Road and Sheridan Street.

Station officer Trevor Duncan said the blaze started in the middle of a scrubby paddock.

“It was very difficult for us to even extinguish it with water because of its location and the unpredictable nature of the wind,” he said.

The wind changed direction several times and firefighers monitored it along Steffensen Street, Sheridan Road, Steptoe Street and on the Walker Street side of Baldwin Swamp before a water bomber was called in.

“(The water bombing) was to protect a house and stop the fire going up the gully, because then it would've threatened industrial sheds on Steptoe Street,” Mr Duncan said.

Tony McDuff was mowing his yard on Grier Street when he saw black smoke billowing from the bush at the rear of his property.

“I could hear it crackling,” he said.

“You see it on TV and think 'why don't people get their hoses out', but this happened so fast,” he said.

One heat-stressed firefighter was transported to Bundaberg Hospital by Queensland Ambulance Service.

The blaze was extinguished about 4pm, but two fire crews continued to douse trouble spots until 5pm.

Read more about fires in Bundaberg: Heat is on for firies across city.

Keep up-to-date with the weather forecast for Bundaberg.

Do you know what to do in the advent of a fire? Read Qld bushfire safety tips for tips and links to further information.