More than 40 fires are burning across Queensland, including a blaze that has reached ’emergency level’.
The fire burning near the township of Tara turned deadly overnight, after a man’s body was found near a dam on the fire ground last night.
There are reports a second person has died after suffering a medical episode while trying to evacuate from fire threat, but police have not been able to confirm if the death was related to the fire.
Acting Superintendent Scott Stahlhut told reporters the human remains found overnight could be those of a missing man.
“I haven’t got details (on how the man’s body was found) at this stage. I probably can’t comment on that until such time as our investigations have established,” he said.
“I did receive some information (on reports of a woman). I can’t say much, but the information I do have is that a person did suffer a medical episode in the Tara region but it wasn’t necessarily related to the fire event.”
Emergency warning issued for parts of Queensland
Multiple warnings remain in place, including an emergency warning for Tara and Wieambilla as the bushfires continue to rage.
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The fire burning in the Tara area has grown to 11,000 hectares.
“It’s uncontrolled and it’s dangerous,” Acting Superintendent Stahlhut said.
“There are multiple evacuation areas set up by the Western Downs regional council, and they will be expanded from Tara towards Chinchilla and Dalby, we are not evacuating Tara township, I need to make that quite clear. We are expanding those areas.”
People in Tara and Wieambilla have been warned it will soon be too dangerous to drive away, and that they risk their lives by staying.
Warnings for parts of Cypress Gardens, Milmerran Downs, Milmerran Woods, Kogan, Tara, Goranba and Weranga have changed to “watch and act” with residents warned it’s not safe to return to the area.
Acting Superintendent Stahlhut confirmed one home and four sheds have been lost in Millmerran.
Residents have been told to head to the Western Downs evacuation centre if they do not have a safe place to go.
