Queensland fire crisis persists as south heats up
Queensland's severe heatwave has spread south as the state's bushfire crisis enters its second week and firefighters gear up for another day of volatile fire conditions.
More than 100 fires continue to burn across the state with temperatures forecast to soar over 40C in many inland districts on Sunday.
Bushfires at Deepwater and Eungella in central Queensland, as well as at Carnarvon in the south-west and on North Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, remain the most worrying.
The Bureau of Meteorology says increased wind conditions combined with the hot and dry conditions have pushed the fire rating back to severe.
"This exceptional heat and fire event just keeps continuing — the records are just too numerous to mention," meteorologist Bruce Gunn said.
"There are still some days to go until we get some relief ... there is no significant rain on the horizon especially in central Queensland before Tuesday."
Thunderstorms forecast for Sunday won't produce rain but are expected to start more fires because of "dry lightning", Mr Gunn said.
All this comes as a tropical low off the state's north-east coast with a chance of becoming a cyclone heads south-west towards Cairns, Mr Gunn said.
Police Brisbane region Assistant Commissioner Peter Crawford urged people on North Stradbroke and Southern Moreton Bay islands, especially Russell Island, to closely monitor the fire situation and be prepared for anything.
"While police, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and other response agencies are on the island and working very hard in response to the fires, the unpredictable nature of bushfires combined with the extreme weather expected today means everyone needs to be prepared and ready for any eventuality," he said.
"We've seen evacuations at other locations in Queensland this past week and as part of your bushfire response/preparedness, people need to be prepared, and packed, in case of this eventuality."
As of Sunday, there was a bushfire burning on North Stradbroke Island near Sibelco sand mine, near Main Beach Conservation Park and Naree Budjong Djara National Park, and properties were not under direct threat.
QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll says "concerning" days lay ahead for Queensland.
"We're not out of the woods ... it is a moving feast, the change of the winds present those challenges and the heatwave, and when you put all of this together it is a difficult concoction to deal with," she said.
More than 400 interstate firefighters are battling the bushfires with the help of 20 aircraft.
The bushfire crisis saw its first loss of life on Friday night, with the death of a 21-year-old man at Rolleston, south of Emerald.
He was using a chainsaw to cut down a tree for a firebreak when the tree fell on him.
AAP, with Felicity Caldwell