Fire Ban in the Toowoomba Local Government area

The Fire Ban runs until at least 11.49pm on Wednesday 25 September.

Under a local fire ban, all open fires are prohibited and "all permits to light a fire which have been issued in the designated areas have been suspended for the duration of the ban".

We suggest that residents in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area with permits to burn should consider carefully whether lighting up is appropriate or necessary at this time.

Fire Ban in the Lockyer Valley Region

 There is a fire ban in place in the Lockyer Valley Region until 11.59pm on Thursday 2 November.

When fire bans are in place either as a local Fire Ban or during a State of Fire Emergency:

• The lighting of fires in the declared fire ban areas are prohibited subject to any special conditions or exemptions

• All open fires are prohibited

• All Permits to Light Fire issued in the designated area are cancelled.

 

The ban is in place across almost all of Queensland apart from parts of Brisbane and areas in the far south-west corner (https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/safety-education/using-fire-outdoors/fire-bans-and-restrictions

Wallers Road Fire - Thursday morning 24 November

Late yesterday the Wallers Road fire was burning on only one front.  It had been stopped to the south and at Wallers Road and the only front still burning was to the north where it is entering a steep and deep gully.

This morning, seen from 4km away, there is only a very small amount of rising smoke from the fire area, significantly less than yesterday evening.

A break line has been put in, extending west from Wallers Road along the top of a ridge further north and that should contain the last fire front.

 

If you are a landowner in the Helidon Hills area and would like to receive updates on fires please contact smokespotters@gmail.com

Wallers Road Fire - third day Wednesday 23 November

 Good afternoon

The fire is in the Seventeen Mile locality, in the Lockyer National Park, between the northern part of Sandy Creek Road and Wallers Road. The localities of Rignwood and Vinegar Hill lie on the other (eastern) side of Wallers Road.

It has been burning since at least the afternoon of 21 November and until some time last night was being driven along by strong southwesterly winds and the steep slope up to Wallers Road.

There has been little or no wind so far today and there is now almost no rising smoke, certainly no columns, but still a lot of smoke in the area.

A bulldozer is currently tidying up the local firebreak in the Vinegar Hill area, which stood up rather well to the heavy rain and floods in February and May.

I will put out another update when I hear whether or not the fire has crossed Wallers Road.

Wallers Road Fire - second day Tuesday 22 November

We have just heard that as of around 2pm this afternoon the fire was still to the west of Wallers Road.

This is very good news as it means Wallers Road is a good accessible fire line for fighting the fire.  Let's hope that it is still to the west of the road when it cools down this evening and the fire may reduce enough for crews to get in and tackle it.

Two helicopter water bombers have been flying continuously for a few hours, flying out to replenish their water somewhere to the east.

The Helidon Hills Smokespotter group will continue to post here for the duration of this fire, so as to make any updates we get available to the widest possible range of local people.

If you have any updates on the situation please send to smokespotters@gmail.com

 The general purposes of this blog

The main purpose of the Helidon Hills Smokespotters blog is to provide a location where landowners can find key information relating to fire danger, fire weather (see relevant tabs above), and announcements regarding restrictions on fire in the Helidon Hills.

There is also information about the history and functions of the Smokespotter group - see relevant tabs above.

We do not post on this blog unless there is something important that people who are not on one of our mailing lists need to know.

Our mailing lists cover: enrolled smokespotters; people involved in fire fighting or the management of fire response, including staff of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council Disaster Response unit; Fire Wardens in our area of coverage who have asked to be on that mailing list; and landowners in the area of coverage who want to receive information that will  inform them about matters such as the source of smoke they are seeing, or about developing situations when the is a major fire.

Landowners in the Helidon Hills and Ravensbourne (not technically our area of coverage, but we try to include that area where possible) can email one of the Coordinators and ask to be on the Landowners Mailing List.  

Individual Fire Wardens can ask to be included on that list.

Staff in relevant positions can ask to be on the Fire & QPWS & LVRC list and may be added after checking with their organisation.

If you find any broken links in this website please contact smokespotters@gmail.com

State of Fire Emergency Declared in Lockyer Valley Regional Council Area and 41 other Local Government Areas

please see the Declaration below, which was published here

Key Message in the Declaration:

• The declaration overrides all existing permits to light fire, banned fireworks and the lighting of any outdoor cooking fires.
• The declaration also prohibits welding, grinding and the use of oxy acetylene cutting or heating outdoors.
• The use of the machinery and power tools in open areas has the potential to exacerbate the bushfire risk, which is why it is essential people do not use these tools outdoors.

Click on the Fire Danger and Weather tab above for access to the latest information on local Fire Danger ratings, weather forecasts and current weather conditions.

 

State of Fire Emergency declared

9th November 2019 3:41 PM

 

Effective 5pm, Saturday 9 November 2019

A State of Fire Emergency has been declared across 42 Local Government Areas in Queensland, following a period of significantly heightened fire weather conditions expected to continue into next week.

The State of Fire Emergency prohibits the lighting of all types of outdoor fires, and bans certain activities that can cause fires to ignite.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Acting Commissioner Mike Wassing said fire crews were battling multiple blazes and all possible steps had to be taken to prevent further fires igniting.

“We’re experiencing tinder box-like conditions across much of the state and all it takes is one spark to start a fire that may burn for days,” Mr Wassing said.

“This declaration is vital to prevent bushfires breaking out and posing a danger to lives and property.”

Mr Wassing said the declaration overrode all existing permits to light fire, banned fireworks and the lighting of any outdoor cooking fires.

“The declaration also prohibits welding, grinding and the use of oxy acetylene cutting or heating outdoors,” he said.

“The use of the machinery and power tools in open areas has the potential to exacerbate the bushfire risk, which is why it is essential people do not use these tools outdoors.

“The declaration also gives QFES the authority to draw on private resources, such as plant and equipment, to assist in firefighting or preparation.”
Mr Wassing said substantial penalties could be issued to those who breached the declaration.

“The penalties for contravening this declaration are serious – a fine of up to $3,336 or two years imprisonment,” he said.

“Our crews are doing a fantastic job protecting lives and property, and we ask that Queenslanders continue to do their part to prevent fires starting and spreading.”

Mr Wassing urged Queenslanders to remain vigilant and continue to follow the advice of authorities.

“Everyone should have a bushfire survival plan and know what they are going to do if a fire approaches,” he said.

“People need to keep up-to-date on the QFES website and social media channels, and tune into local radio.

“It is important they follow the advice given and don’t leave it too late to evacuate if they need to.

“Bushfire prevention is a community effort, so it is essential people report fires and to Triple Zero (000) immediately.”

The declaration will be in effect until revoked.

Local Government Areas included in State of Fire Emergency:
QFES South Eastern Region
LGAs Included:
• Gold Coast City
• Ipswich City
• Lockyer Valley Regional
• Logan City
• Scenic Rim Regional
• Somerset Regional

Severe Fire Danger and Fire Bans - Lockyer Valley Region - 2 December 2018

Severe Fire Danger - Lockyer Valley Region

from: http://www.ewn.com.au/alerts/qld-fire-weather-warning-2018-12-01-395785.weather
Issued at 4:12 pm EST on Saturday 1 December 2018.

Weather Situation
Westerly winds will strengthen on Sunday across southern Queensland ahead of another surface trough in the southwest. Combined with ongoing hot and dry conditions, Severe fire dangers are forecast across southern and southeastern districts on Sunday. With some instability also ahead of the trough, isolated high-based thunderstorms are possible along the coastal fringe south of Mackay and through inland southern Queensland. These thunderstorms may be gusty, but will have little to no rainfall.

For Sunday 2 December:

Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following forecast districts:
Central Highlands and Coalfields, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast

The Rural Fire Service Queensland advises you to:
- Action your Bushfire Survival Plan now.
- Monitor the fire and weather situation through your local radio station,
www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au and www.bom.gov.au.
- Call 000 (Triple Zero) in an emergency.

For information on preparing for bushfires go to www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au.

Fire Danger Rating Maps
see http://alerts3.ewn.com.au/images/201812/01161833_qldfww_ewn.png

Fire Bans - Lockyer Valley Region

See:  https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/Bushfire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/Pages/Lockyer-Valley-Regional-Council.aspx

A Fire Ban applies from 0001hrs Sunday 2 December 2018 to midnight Sunday 2 December 2018 in the following local government areas:  Gold Coast, Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer, Logan and Scenic Rim.

All Permits to Light Fire previously issued in the fire ban area are hereby cancelled.

For more information please see the Fire Ban Declaration.​ https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/BushFire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/List%20Documents/11218FireBan-SouthEast.pdf

Fire Bans: There IS a Fire Ban for this Shire
Start Date: 2/12/2018 12:00 AM
End Date: 2/12/2018 11:55 PM
Attachment: Fire Ban Declaration

Fire Restrictions

Please review your local council website for any policies or local restrictions.  For any additional information please contact your local Fire Warden or Rural Fire Service Area Office.


For Smokespotters only: Please make sure you know where your bearing compass is and report all sightings of smoke to a Coordinator (see numbers below)


when it comes to bushfires, we are all neighbours
__________________________________
Helidon Hills Smoke Spotter Coordinators:
Gordon Claridge 5462 1028 / 0401 346 036
Mike Ford 4600 9960 / 0418 732 504
KP Neilson 4697 8053 / 040 555 9812

email: smokespotters@gmail.com (not for reporting smoke)

http://www.smokespotters.blogspot.com.au/

How to prepare your property for the fire season

Just came across this page on the Victorian Country Fire Authority website on preparing your property for the fire season.

 Each of the "!"s in the graphic link to a hint on site preparation.

It has a very good combination of graphic and text to get the main points across and some quite specific guidelines, as well as links to much more detailed material on a range of relevant topics.

See here: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/how-to-prepare-your-property

Fire Ban - Wednesday 19 Septemer to Friday 21 September

A fire ban is current from Wednesday 0001hrs 19 September until 2359 Friday 21 September 2018

in the local government areas of Gold Coast, Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer, Logan and Scenic Rim.  

Start Date: 19/09/2018 12:05 AM

End Date: 21/09/2018 11:55 PM

Link:  To see the terms of the Fire Ban:  https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/BushFire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/List Documents/20180919_FireBan_SER.pdf






when it comes to bushfires, we are all neighbours
__________________________________
Helidon Hills Smoke Spotter Coordinators:
Gordon Claridge 5462 1028 / 0401 346 036
Mike Ford 4600 9960 / 0418 732 504
KP Neilson 4697 8053 / 040 555 9812

email: smokespotters@gmail.com (not for reporting smoke)

http://www.smokespotters.blogspot.com.au/

Saturday 1 September - Very High Fire Danger in the Lockyer

The forecast Fire Danger Rating for the area including the Lockyer Valley Region was changed to Very High for today, 1 September. [ http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/fire-danger-ratings.shtml ]

Not surprising considering the high winds through the area, relatively low humidity and very dry conditions.

Forecast for tomorrow is High, followed by current forecast of Low-Moderate for Monday and Tuesday - but keep in mind the very dry conditions in the Lockyer which are unlikely to have changed.

Smokespotters website links updated

I've just been through the tab pages at the top of this website and tested and updated the links.  Quite a few of them were out of date.

Please, if you find a link that is broken, or information that is incorrect, email me at gfclaridge [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk with the details of exactly what is wrong.

While I was doing this I had a look at the page-views statistics for this website.

The Helidon Hills Smokespotters website went 'live' in August 2012.  In the six years since then there have been 14,643 page-views, with 365 page-views last month.

By the way, the Smokespotters group is 10 years old this month.

Fire Danger in all of SEQ is Very High - local Fire Bans in place in 6 LGAs to midnight 20 August

From: https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/BushFire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/List%20Documents/UpdatedFireBan15-20Aug18.pdf

A prohibition on lighting fires in the open applies for the period 0001hrs Thursday 16th August 2018 to 2359 hrs on Monday 20th August 2018 in the fire ban area(s) specified hereunder:

Within the whole of the Local Government Areas of:
Ipswich
Somerset
Lockyer
Logan
Scenic Rim
Gold Coast

All Permits to Light Fire previously issued in the local fire ban area are hereby cancelled, subject to the following exemptions.

Local Fire Ban and Cancellation of Permits to Burn - Lockyer Valley Regional Council area and other SEQ Council areas

There is Local Fire Fire Ban in place from Sunday 12 August 2018 to Monday 13 August 2018 in the Local Government Areas of Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer, Logan, Scenic Rim and Gold Coast.

See: https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/Bushfire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/Pages/Lockyer-Valley-Regional-Council.aspx

In addition, all fire permits previously issued in the local fire ban area have been cancelled. 

See: https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/BushFire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/List Documents/Local fire Ban 12 to 13 August 2018.pdf

Note, the literal meaning of this is that the permits no longer exist - not that they automatically come back into effect after the end of the Local Fire Ban period.

There is more detail on this on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services NEWSROOM website: https://newsroom.psba.qld.gov.au/Content/Default/Releases/Article/Permits-cancelled-as-south-east-Queensland-bushfire-threat-climbs/-3/27/14049

Mr Gillespie urged people to report any sign of fire to Triple Zero (000) immediately**.
 
“No matter how small, please report it so we can get on top of it as quickly as possible to protect life and property.”
 
For more information or to find your local fire warden, visit www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au

** For fires in the Helidon Hills Smokespotter area please also advise one of the Smokespotter Coordinators (see contact details below) so that we can immediately begin to get cross bearings on smoke from fires distant from houses and/or roads to help in accurately locating fires.

regards

Gordon


From the Declaration of Local Fire Ban giving effect to the above restrictions:

A prohibition on lighting fires in the open applies for the period 0001hrs Sunday 12th August 2018 to 2359 hrs on Monday 13th August 2018 in the fire ban area(s) specified hereunder:

Within the whole of the Local Government Areas of:

Ipswich Somerset Lockyer Logan Scenic Rim Gold Coast

All Permits to Light Fire previously issued in the local fire ban area are hereby cancelled, subject to the following exemptions.

THE FOLLOWING EXEMPTIONS APPLY:

Fires lit for the purpose of burning standing sugar cane for harvest in accordance with the established practice of the industry. The burning of standing cane is permitted between 1800 hrs and 0500 hrs the following day once a permit to burn has been obtained from the local fire warden for those blocks of cane that require a permit to burn.

Fires lit for the purpose of burning tops and trash between the hours of 1800hrs

and 0900hrs (6.00pm and 9.00am) once a permit to burn has been obtained from the local fire warden for those blocks of cane that require a permit to burn.

Fires lit in accordance with the provisions of Section 86A of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990, Part 6 Sections 53 Powers of authorised officer in dangerous situations and 55 Powers of authorised fire officer for preventative or Investigative purposes.

when it comes to bushfires, we are all neighbours
__________________________________
Helidon Hills Smoke Spotter Coordinators:
Gordon Claridge 5462 1028 / 0401 346 036
Mike Ford 4600 9960 / 0418 732 504
KP Neilson 4697 8053 / 040 555 9812

Fire Bans - Sever Fire Weather - Fire Permits cancelled

There is a Fire Ban in place for Thursday 14 September (from midnight last night to midnight tonight).  https://ruralfire.qld.gov.au/Bushfire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/Pages/Lockyer-Valley-Regional-Council.aspx and https://ruralfire.qld.gov.au/BushFire_Safety/Neighbourhood-Safer-Places/lgas/List Documents/20170914-FireBan-SER.pdf

ALL Fire Permits within ALL of West Moreton area are cancelled.  This includes ALL Permits for the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area and supports / continues the revocation of Permits to Light for Ipswich and Somerset issued on the 7th of September 2017.


From the Meterological Bureau  http://www.abc.net.au/news/emergency/state/qld/#

For the rest of Thursday 14 September:

Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following forecast districts:
Gulf Country, North West and Southeast Coast

The Rural Fire Service Queensland advises you to:
- Action your Bushfire Survival Plan now.
- Monitor the fire and weather situation through your local radio station,
www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au and www.bom.gov.au.
- Call 000 (Triple Zero) in an emergency.
For information on preparing for bushfires go to www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au.

No further warnings will be issued for this event, but the situation will
continue to be monitored and further warnings issued if necessary.

Just received from our local Fire Warden - all fire permits are cancelled till further notice - no fires to be lit

Tuesday 12 September 2017 6.10pm

Just had a call from our local Fire Warden.  All Fire Permits are cancelled till further notice and no fires are to be lit.

when it comes to bushfires, we are all neighbours
__________________________________
Helidon Hills Smoke Spotter Coordinators:
Gordon Claridge 5462 1028 / 0401 346 036
Mike Ford 4600 9960 / 0418 732 504
KP Neilson 4697 8053 / 040 555 9812

email: smokespotters@gmail.com (not for reporting smoke)

http://www.smokespotters.blogspot.com.au/

Today's Forest Fire Danger Rating

Fire Bans

New forecasts for rainfall and temp for Sept to Nov

A new quarterly overview of weather for September to November indicates that South East Queensland is likely to have slightly above average rainfall and a 60-70% chance of above average temperatures during the period.

Have a look here for rainfall: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/rainfall/summary
and here for temperature: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/temperature/maximum/median/seasonal/0

You can click on each of the small maps at the above links for more detail, and follow various links  to other detailed information.   Maps below are from the above sources.  Note that the main maps at those links are zoomable down to quite local detail - as in the temperature forecast map excerpt below.

Chance of above average rainfall for September to November

Chance of above average temperature for September to November

Landscaping for Bushfire - a very useful guide

From: Landscaping for Bushfire, CFA Victoria, 2011

 It looks like we are at the beginning of a bad bushfire season.  Planning ahead is the only sensible way to help ensure that your house and other infrastructure are as safe as possible from bushfires.

 Landscaping for Bushfire was developed by the Country Fire Authority in response  to Recommendation 44 from the Victorian Bushfires Royal  Commission.

While it is a Victorian publication and the regulations and many of the species referred to are Victorian, those aspects take up only a small part of what is covered.  The document provides a very useful reference on the principles of landscaping for bushfire protection and also offers a lot of useful suggestions.

I highly recommend it for anyone in the Lockyer Valley Region, or anywhere for that matter.

Stay safe.

when it comes to bushfires, we are all neighbours

Permitted burns in the Ravensbourne area - pm Thursday 14 July

There will be two permitted burns this afternoon in fairly close proximity in the Ravensbourne area.  They will be between the Esk Hampton Road and the escarpment, north of the intersection of Seventeen Mile Road / National Park Road with the Esk Hampton Road.  Both are burning heaps of timber.

For QPWS: one of these burns is close to Ravensbourne National Park / Ravensbourne Nature Refuge.  Rain is expected in the area.

For Smokespotters: No need to report smoke from this vicinity.  If you have reason to believe that smoke seen in this general area is not from these permitted burns, please contact one of the Smokespotter Coordinators.

Controlled pm Wed 29 June and Thurs 30 June - Palm Tree / Buaraba area

Private Forestry Service Queensland will be carrying out controlled burns on Ergon properties south of the intersection of Palm Tree Road with Seventeen Mile Road this afternoon (Wed 29 June) and tomorrow 30 June.

Given the general dampness of the area the fires may be quite smoky.