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| Queensland and NSW bushfires: police lay charges over 'malicious' behaviour – live updates | Queensland and NSW bushfires: police lay charges over 'malicious' behaviour – live updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Meanwhile, this is what it looks like when an air tanker drops fire retardant on the fire in NSW. | |
| The Large Air Tanker coming in for another drop at the fire near Yamba. Retardant is being used to help slow the fire. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/gGnOuPxIt0 | |
| A fire in bushland and part of a Logan City Council storage facility was the fault of a 12-year-old boy who deliberately lit the fire, Queensland police allege.The police allege in a statement that a group of juveniles were in bushland behind the Woodridge Skate Park when one boy deliberately lit a fire, which spread to a nearby storage centre and destroyed a fence, two shipping containers and the contents of those containers. | |
| The fire was put out by emergency services, and after an investigation a 12-year-old boy from Slacks Creek was located. Police say he will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act. | |
| Queensland police has shared this video taken from a police helicopter over the Peregian and OReillys fires on Monday night. | |
| PolAir is continuing to provide aerial surveillance support to @QldFES above the SEQ fire grounds. This is what the #Peregian and OReillys fires looked like from the air last night. pic.twitter.com/OyrlPBnExZ | PolAir is continuing to provide aerial surveillance support to @QldFES above the SEQ fire grounds. This is what the #Peregian and OReillys fires looked like from the air last night. pic.twitter.com/OyrlPBnExZ |
| I’m going to hand you over to my colleague Josh Taylor now who will take you through the afternoon. Thanks for reading! | I’m going to hand you over to my colleague Josh Taylor now who will take you through the afternoon. Thanks for reading! |
| Earlier in September Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ predictive services inspector, Andrew Sturgess, said the state had never before seen such serious bushfire conditions, so early in spring. | Earlier in September Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ predictive services inspector, Andrew Sturgess, said the state had never before seen such serious bushfire conditions, so early in spring. |
| It raises the obvious question - why? This datablog from our own Nick Evershed - although a few years old - tries to answer the question of whether our bushfire seasons are getting long. | It raises the obvious question - why? This datablog from our own Nick Evershed - although a few years old - tries to answer the question of whether our bushfire seasons are getting long. |
| Are Australia’s bushfire seasons getting longer? | Are Australia’s bushfire seasons getting longer? |
| Firefighters in New South Wales are still battling strong winds at a fire near the town of Yamba. Water-bombing aircraft are dropping fire retardant near homes under threat from the blaze. | Firefighters in New South Wales are still battling strong winds at a fire near the town of Yamba. Water-bombing aircraft are dropping fire retardant near homes under threat from the blaze. |
| WATCH AND ACT - Shark Creek fire (Clarence Valley) Firefighters and waterbombing aircraft are battling strong winds. Retardant has been dropped close to homes, and crews are working to slow the spread of the fire. Stay up to date at https://t.co/oPxupRUI86 #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/GtsTEkOzHr | WATCH AND ACT - Shark Creek fire (Clarence Valley) Firefighters and waterbombing aircraft are battling strong winds. Retardant has been dropped close to homes, and crews are working to slow the spread of the fire. Stay up to date at https://t.co/oPxupRUI86 #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/GtsTEkOzHr |
| Carroll confirmed that there had been charges in relation to some of the fires currently burning. | Carroll confirmed that there had been charges in relation to some of the fires currently burning. |
| She said officers were looking into the cause behind eight fires currently burning in the state. Earlier, police said detectives were investigating the cause of the fire at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast and were “speaking with a number of teenagers” in relation to the matter. | She said officers were looking into the cause behind eight fires currently burning in the state. Earlier, police said detectives were investigating the cause of the fire at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast and were “speaking with a number of teenagers” in relation to the matter. |
| Our Queensland correspondent Ben Smee said witnesses had told him they saw “a group of teens set alight a milk crate and throw it into bushland at Peregian, near where the bushfire in the area is understood to have started”. | Our Queensland correspondent Ben Smee said witnesses had told him they saw “a group of teens set alight a milk crate and throw it into bushland at Peregian, near where the bushfire in the area is understood to have started”. |
| OK let’s do a quick recap of that press conference | OK let’s do a quick recap of that press conference |
| The acting Queensland premier, Jackie Trad, says there are 80 fires burning in the state. She confirmed only one home had been lost at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine coast overnight, saying the “herculean efforts” for firefighters “resulted in nothing short of a miracle”. | The acting Queensland premier, Jackie Trad, says there are 80 fires burning in the state. She confirmed only one home had been lost at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine coast overnight, saying the “herculean efforts” for firefighters “resulted in nothing short of a miracle”. |
| There are 400 people still at emergency evacuation centres near Peregian. Trad said there was no timeline on when they will be able to return to their homes. | There are 400 people still at emergency evacuation centres near Peregian. Trad said there was no timeline on when they will be able to return to their homes. |
| Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, announced the establishment of a taskforce to investigate the circumstances behind eight fires currently burning. That number, she said, was likely to increase. “Some of the behaviour has been unfortunately reckless and other behaviour has been purposeful,” she said. | Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, announced the establishment of a taskforce to investigate the circumstances behind eight fires currently burning. That number, she said, was likely to increase. “Some of the behaviour has been unfortunately reckless and other behaviour has been purposeful,” she said. |
| Craig Crawford, the Queensland minister for social resources, said there were more than 1000 firefighters and 250 trucks working across Queensland. “I think that is actually more than what we ever had during the November fires last year at any one time,” he said. | Craig Crawford, the Queensland minister for social resources, said there were more than 1000 firefighters and 250 trucks working across Queensland. “I think that is actually more than what we ever had during the November fires last year at any one time,” he said. |
| Richard Wardle from the Bureau of Meteorology said that “unfortunately” the long-term outlooks are for above average temperatures in most of Queensland on Friday and Saturday, meaning the fire danger will remain high. | Richard Wardle from the Bureau of Meteorology said that “unfortunately” the long-term outlooks are for above average temperatures in most of Queensland on Friday and Saturday, meaning the fire danger will remain high. |
| Carroll says that while some fires have “just clearly gotten away from kids thinking they are having fun” others have been “reckless and purposeful behaviour by others”. | Carroll says that while some fires have “just clearly gotten away from kids thinking they are having fun” others have been “reckless and purposeful behaviour by others”. |
| “This task force will stay in place until I am satisfied that we have dealt with all fires across the state and will continue throughout the coming weeks,” she says. | “This task force will stay in place until I am satisfied that we have dealt with all fires across the state and will continue throughout the coming weeks,” she says. |
| “The consequences of some of these fires are dire. People can die. Buildings and residences are being destroyed and obviously some of them can carry life imprisonment offences if it is found to be purposeful and people do die as a result.” | “The consequences of some of these fires are dire. People can die. Buildings and residences are being destroyed and obviously some of them can carry life imprisonment offences if it is found to be purposeful and people do die as a result.” |
| Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, announcing she’s established a taskforce to investigate eight fires which have occurred in the last few days. | Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, announcing she’s established a taskforce to investigate eight fires which have occurred in the last few days. |
| “That number will increase,” she says. “There are many, many charges that have already been laid in relation to this.” | “That number will increase,” she says. “There are many, many charges that have already been laid in relation to this.” |
| “Some of the behaviour has been unfortunately reckless and other behaviour has been purposeful. Some of the fires have involved children playing and obviously the consequences are dire as a result of that and, as I said, some of them have been purposeful and malicious. Can I please ask parents to speak to their children.” | “Some of the behaviour has been unfortunately reckless and other behaviour has been purposeful. Some of the fires have involved children playing and obviously the consequences are dire as a result of that and, as I said, some of them have been purposeful and malicious. Can I please ask parents to speak to their children.” |
| A representative from Queensland fire and emergency services says the work in the fighting the blaze will continue “for days and weeks” because of the remoteness of some of the fires. | A representative from Queensland fire and emergency services says the work in the fighting the blaze will continue “for days and weeks” because of the remoteness of some of the fires. |
| Of the fire at Peregian, he says it’s still “an active going fire”. | Of the fire at Peregian, he says it’s still “an active going fire”. |
| “But we are confident with the aircraft and the number of resources that we have on that fire as we speak that the asset protection is well protected, but again we cannot afford to have people in that area yet go back to those areas,” the spokesman says. | “But we are confident with the aircraft and the number of resources that we have on that fire as we speak that the asset protection is well protected, but again we cannot afford to have people in that area yet go back to those areas,” the spokesman says. |
| “We still have a lot of firefighting activity. It simply is not safe.” | “We still have a lot of firefighting activity. It simply is not safe.” |
| Richard Wardle from the Bureau of Meteorology speaking now. Says that “unfortunately” the long-term outlooks are for above average temperatures on Friday and Saturday with no significant rainfall predicted for the fire-affected areas. | Richard Wardle from the Bureau of Meteorology speaking now. Says that “unfortunately” the long-term outlooks are for above average temperatures on Friday and Saturday with no significant rainfall predicted for the fire-affected areas. |
| “We do have those very high fire dangers over much of Queensland today with that very dry air mass,” he says. | “We do have those very high fire dangers over much of Queensland today with that very dry air mass,” he says. |
| “We will see those winds pick up during the course of today, but then ease later today and tend more south, south-easterly so at the moment we have quite a bit of smoke on coastal areas in south-east Queensland. | “We will see those winds pick up during the course of today, but then ease later today and tend more south, south-easterly so at the moment we have quite a bit of smoke on coastal areas in south-east Queensland. |
| “We will see that smoke move a little bit more inland as those winds swing around more south-easterly. We do expect those fire danger ratings to reduce tomorrow [and] Wednesday, over most of Queensland, as those winds decrease [but] as I said, we do expect those above average temperatures to return on Friday and Saturday, so we expect to see a return to the very high fire danger ratings on those days.” | “We will see that smoke move a little bit more inland as those winds swing around more south-easterly. We do expect those fire danger ratings to reduce tomorrow [and] Wednesday, over most of Queensland, as those winds decrease [but] as I said, we do expect those above average temperatures to return on Friday and Saturday, so we expect to see a return to the very high fire danger ratings on those days.” |
| She says there are 80 fires burning throughout Queensland. | She says there are 80 fires burning throughout Queensland. |
| “As I said before, it was nothing short of a miracle when you consider the ember storm that was engulfing those communities and how unpredictable and quickly that fire emerged late yesterday,” Trad says. | “As I said before, it was nothing short of a miracle when you consider the ember storm that was engulfing those communities and how unpredictable and quickly that fire emerged late yesterday,” Trad says. |
| Trad says there are 400 people still at emergency evacuation centres near Peregian. She says there’s no timeline on when they will be able to return to their homes. | Trad says there are 400 people still at emergency evacuation centres near Peregian. She says there’s no timeline on when they will be able to return to their homes. |
| “Unfortunately we will not be able to provide advice to them to return back to their homes until proper safety assessments have been done on properties, as well as on transport routes to ensure we have a clear way through for firefighters, for emergency service vehicles, right throughout the day,” she says. | “Unfortunately we will not be able to provide advice to them to return back to their homes until proper safety assessments have been done on properties, as well as on transport routes to ensure we have a clear way through for firefighters, for emergency service vehicles, right throughout the day,” she says. |
| She’s scolding some of the reporting which suggested as many as a dozen properties had been destroyed in the fire. | She’s scolding some of the reporting which suggested as many as a dozen properties had been destroyed in the fire. |
| “The single source of truth in relation to the unfolding bushfires throughout Queensland is the Queensland fire and emergency service and the Queensland Police. They are the ones on the ground, rolling up their sleeves, leading our state at a time when we are in unprecedented territory,” she says. | “The single source of truth in relation to the unfolding bushfires throughout Queensland is the Queensland fire and emergency service and the Queensland Police. They are the ones on the ground, rolling up their sleeves, leading our state at a time when we are in unprecedented territory,” she says. |
| “So, I do have to say that [when] we want to curtail panic in the community, it is the police and QFES who should be referred to as the single source of truth in relation to bushfires.” | “So, I do have to say that [when] we want to curtail panic in the community, it is the police and QFES who should be referred to as the single source of truth in relation to bushfires.” |
| Queensland’s acting premier, Jackie Trad, is speaking now. She said last night’s “herculean efforts resulted in nothing short of a miracle”. | Queensland’s acting premier, Jackie Trad, is speaking now. She said last night’s “herculean efforts resulted in nothing short of a miracle”. |
| “More than 300 firefighters worked from 4.30 yesterday afternoon all throughout the night and many of them are still there working to contain the fire at Peregian,” she says. | “More than 300 firefighters worked from 4.30 yesterday afternoon all throughout the night and many of them are still there working to contain the fire at Peregian,” she says. |
| As I mentioned earlier the Binna Burra Lodge, in the world-heritage-listed rainforest of Lamington national park, was destroyed by bushfire on the weekend. | As I mentioned earlier the Binna Burra Lodge, in the world-heritage-listed rainforest of Lamington national park, was destroyed by bushfire on the weekend. |
| Writer Mary-Rose MacColl has reflected on the lodge’s history: | Writer Mary-Rose MacColl has reflected on the lodge’s history: |
| “This is an obituary for quaint slab-wood cabins, a place that was burned down on the weekend in a fire devastating for the many thousands of people who have visited over the past 85 years.” | “This is an obituary for quaint slab-wood cabins, a place that was burned down on the weekend in a fire devastating for the many thousands of people who have visited over the past 85 years.” |
| An obituary for Binna Burra Lodge, which first moved me when I was a teenager | Mary-Rose MacColl | An obituary for Binna Burra Lodge, which first moved me when I was a teenager | Mary-Rose MacColl |