By Margaret Maccoll
The loud crackling noise of an approaching bushfire woke residents of Resort Drive Noosa Springs who looked out their windows to see flames shooting into the sky and heading their way about 1am Friday morning. It drove them to action.They called 000, knocked on doors to warn neighbours of the approaching fire, turned their hoses on and moved their cars out of danger. Some holiday makers evacuated all together.
One resident said the glare from the fire was as brilliant as a sunrise only coming from the wrong direction.
Noosa Queensland Fire and Rescue Service officers attended the bush fire that was threatening homes with five urban urban trucks and were assisted by Rural Fire Service units from Valdora, Tinbeerwah and Doonan. One firefighter said a Queensland Parks and Wildlife controlled burn at Lake Weyba had re-ignited in windy conditions and came close to homes at Noosa Springs.
There was an “ember attack” caused by burning embers falling onto the apartments and “there was definitely panic” among some home owners, he said.
Firefighters brought the fire under control and remained on site until 4.30am. QPWS continued to monitor the smouldering area until 12.30pm. There were no injuries reported.
Another controlled burn conducted at Sunshine Beach last Wednesday continued to spread smoke across the Noosa Junction and Sunshine Beach areas days later.
A QFRS officer praised the controlled burn in the area which had not been burnt for 30 years and had posed a fire risk. “It was good to get that burnt,” he said. The officer said the contained thick peat and despite efforts to extinguish it would continue to smolder for some days.
