Evacuation warnings have been issued as bushfires rage across the country near the border of Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Firefighting planes are battling a blaze in Landsborough, a few miles from the iconic 283-hectare zoo run by the late Steve Irwin’s family.
The “large, fast-moving fire” remains at watch and handle level and is traveling towards Hardwood Road.
Residents between Steve Irwin Way, Graham Drive, Fraser Road and Hardwood Road have been warned that ‘conditions could deteriorate quickly’ and they should be prepared to leave.
‘Firefighters are working to get the fire under control. You should not expect a fireman at your door,” the QFES said on its website.
Evacuation warnings have been issued as bushfires (pictured) rage across the country near the border of Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast
The warning came less than 24 hours after locals were first evacuated from their homes around 8pm on Saturday.
This was withdrawn at 10.30pm, allowing residents to return home that evening, after the fast-moving fire threatened the townships of Beerwah and Landsborough.
Major roads or highways may still be affected by the fire; However, there are currently no properties at risk.
At least 100 bushfires have burned more than 11,000 hectares in Queensland over the past week, killing two people and destroying 35 homes so far.
Hundreds of people have also been evacuated from parts of south-east Queensland.
Bushfires have also claimed two lives in New South Wales in recent weeks.
Total fire bans are in place in large parts of the state ahead of the onset of heatwave weather on Monday, with extreme fire danger expected.
Temperatures of 33 degrees are forecast in Sydney and 36 degrees in the city’s west, which is six to eight degrees above the seasonal average.
“Fresh to strong northwesterly winds and warm and dry conditions will lead to increased fire danger,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Regional areas of NSW will also be hot on Monday, with Lismore expected to reach 28 degrees, Grafton 31, Taree 30 and Maitland in the Hunter 34 degrees.
On the NSW south coast, Batemans Bay is expected to reach 34 degrees, while Katoomba in the NSW Blue Mountains will reach 28 degrees.
In late August, Australians were warned that bushfires could break out across the country much earlier than in the summer, which later turned out to be true.
Firefighting planes are busy extinguishing a blaze in Landsborough, a few miles from the iconic 283-hectare zoo (pictured) run by the family of the late Steve Irwin
A ‘large, fast-moving fire’ remains at watch and handle level close to the Australia Zoo boundary
The Bureau of Meteorology has worked with state and national emergency services, fire services and climate authorities to issue the high-level warning to ‘be prepared now’.
Cities on Australia’s east coast are now most at risk of being uninsurable by 2030 due to bushfires – with a particularly hot spring and summer expected.
Home insurance premiums have typically risen by 30 percent over the past year, even before the start of the bushfire season.
Since the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020, insurers have paid out more than $16.8 billion in claims for natural disasters, including floods and cyclones.
