Raging grass fire threatens to burn down tourist villas just metres from Sea World theme park
- Fire closed off Main Beach on Southport Spit on the Gold Coast at about 2.45pm
- Motorists and tourists were told to avoid an exclusion area set up by authorities
- Popular theme park Sea World was left open but hotel with 54 villas evacuated
- 10 fire crews called to scene as footage showed plumes of smoke near to CBD
- Traffic was eventually able to leave via the north of the spit at about 4.30pm
A raging grass fire next to a popular theme park left hundreds of people stranded for nearly two hours and forced a hotel to evacuate 54 villas.
Police issued an emergency situation at 2.45pm on Monday after the bush fire broke out on Southport Spit on the Gold Coast at about 1pm.
Traffic was able to leave the northern end of the spit at about 4.30pm with police manually directing traffic off the thin stretch of land north of central Gold Coast.
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A raging grass fire next to a popular theme park (pictured) left hundreds of people stranded for nearly two hours and forced a hotel to evacuate 54 villas
Motorists and tourists were told to avoid an exclusion area set up by authorities - located directly east of Sea World and north of the Sheration Grand Mirage Resort.
The resort was evacuated, while police blocked access to Seaworld Drive which runs north to south through the spit.
Seaworld was left open throughout though, a spokesman for the park confirmed.
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But the crowds looking to take advantage of the public holiday and the good weather have been left stranded on Main Beach on the ocean side of the spit.
Police warned as the fire grew it could be an hour before the area was opened again at 4pm.
10 fire crews were called to the scene, but emergency services said the blaze has no threat to property, Gold Coast News reported.
Motorists and tourists were told to avoid an exclusion area set up by authorities - located directly east of Sea World and north of the Sheration Grand Mirage Resort (pictured Seaworld Drive during fire, which was blocked off for almost two hours)
10 fire crews were called to the scene, but emergency services said the blaze has no threat to property
Aerial footage of the fire showed a barren section of the park area scorched by the fire with plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
Other shots taken from the Channel 7 helicopter showed smoke reaching out toward the Nerang River and the Gold Coast CBD about 13 kilometers away.
The Main Beach fire is one of four announced by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services on Monday, although none were said to pose any threat to property.
The resort was evacuated, while police blocked access to Seaworld Drive which runs north to south through the spit (exclusion zone pictured)
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