South-east Queensland fire permits cancelled in 'tinder-dry' conditions
Fire permits in south-east areas of the state have been cancelled as of midnight Friday as Queensland faces "very high" fire danger over the weekend.
Ipswich, the Scenic Rim, Logan City, Gold Coast and Somerset Regional Council local government have all put bans in place.
Rural Fire Service Regional Manager Alan Gillespie said the ongoing drought conditions and high bushfire fuel loads foreshadowed a long bushfire season this year.
“It’s tinder dry out there and we need the public to be vigilant, ready to act and monitor the situation,” Mr Gillespie said.
“This weekend is just an example of the conditions we can regularly expect to see in coming months, particularly in western areas."
Mr Gillespie said the lack of soil moisture and "more fuel on the ground than we've seen in a long time" had combined to create a high and early fire risk.
“We are talking about conditions very different to what we would normally experience at this time of year - conditions we haven’t seen for some time, and conditions conducive to the rapid spread of fire," he said.
“There is absolutely no room for complacency. Our crews are ready to respond but we need the community to play its part, take extra precautions and remain on alert.”
Extra firefighters will be on standby across the south-east over the weekend and Mr Gillespie urged people to call triple zero at any sign of fire and prepare their own bushfire survival plans.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has already declared the state's fire season officially active, which began on August 1, launching its fire season well before the traditional spring ban.