September 26, 2017
A local fire ban has been declared in the South Burnett and Gympie regional council areas from midnight on Tuesday to midnight on Saturday.
Rural Fire Service Regional Manager Peter Hollier said all permits issued previously to light fires have been cancelled.
The ban follows weather forecasts issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.
However, the following exemptions apply:
- Fires within a properly constructed barbecue are permitted, provided they are not left unattended
- Fires for the disposal of animal carcasses are permitted, subject to the issue of a permit by the local fire warden
- Fires of commercial necessity are permitted, subject to the issue of a permit to light fire by the Chief Fire Warden, Area Director Rural Fire Service
Power tools, including lawn mowers and mechanical slashers, may be used, however the QFES encourages people to use these with extreme care and to ensure that adequate equipment is available to extinguish any fire that may start.
This could include having a person available to watch out for any ignitions that occur.
Footnote: There are no fire bans imposed so far in the Toowoomba Regional Council area, but it would make sense for Yarraman and Cooyar residents to keep in mind the restrictions in the adjacent South Burnett Regional Council area.
[UPDATED with correction. An earlier version of this report said the fire bans would start at midnight on Wednesday; they actually start at 12:01am on Wednesday, ie midnight Tuesday]
