Overview
- Total fire bans now cover 23 local government areas from Gladstone to the NSW border, with new orders extending inland toward Townsville over roughly 140,000 square kilometres.
- All open fires are prohibited and existing permits are suspended for the duration, while hazard-reduction burns are paused in affected regions.
- Firefighters reported about 30 active blazes on Thursday morning after responding to 70 incidents over 24 hours, with extra aircraft and crews deployed.
- The bans run at least until early Sunday in parts of the south‑west and until next Tuesday across the wider south‑east.
- Forecasters expect temperatures 3 to 8 degrees above average, gusty westerlies and possible dry lightning that could ignite new fires.