August 29, 2018
A fast-moving bushfire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon forced the evacuation of Nanango Hospital as a precautionary measure.
The fire is believed to have started in bushland at the end of Hospital Terrace about 2:30pm.
It spread rapidly into an area at the rear of Nanango Hospital, near Ridley Street.
At 4:00pm, the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service advised the hospital had been closed and three patients had been evacuated to Kingaroy Hospital.
At the peak of the blaze, QFES issued a “Watch and Act” alert to local residents, advising them to prepare to leave their properties.
A water-bombing aircraft was also called in to drop loads on the flames.
At 4:30pm, the bushfire alert was downgraded and at 5:15pm, the fire was burning safely within containment lines.
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Video of the waterbombing (by Charlie Spagalli)
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EARLIER
5:15pm:
QFES has advised that 13 fire crews remain on scene at a bushfire burning near Ridley Street, Nanango.
The fire is now burning safely within containment lines and there is no threat to property.
Smoke may affect the area overnight, so residents should close windows and doors and keep their medications close by if they suffer from a respiratory condition.
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4:30pm:
QFES has downgraded its previous alert for a bushfire in Nanango from “Watch and Act” to “Advice”.
The bushfire is travelling from Hospital Terrace towards Ridley Street, Nanango, near the back of Nanango Hospital.
The hospital has been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Firefighters are working to contain the fire, and a helicopter is being used to water bomb the site.
QFES reported there were 15 firefighting units tackling the bushfire, with another en route.
Properties are not under direct threat at this time.
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3:40pm – PREPARE TO LEAVE:
QFES has issued a “Watch and Act” warning about a fast-moving bushfire that is travelling from Hospital Terrace, Muller Street and Ridley Street in Nanango in a north-easterly direction towards Locke Lane.
The fire was reported to QFES about 2:30pm on Wednesday afternoon and an ADVICE alert was issued at 3:00pm.
At 3:40pm, QFES said residents need to be ready to follow their bushfire survival plan.
If residents do not have a plan, they should be ready to leave the area because the situation could get worse quickly.
Fire crews are working to contain the fire, but QFES warns that firefighters may not be able to protect every property.
People in the area will be affected by smoke, which will reduce visibility and air quality.
Residents should call Triple Zero (000) immediately if they believe their property or their lives are under threat.
[UPDATED. Originally published as “Nanango Bushfire Threat Upgraded” and “Bushfire Threat Downgraded”]
