June 4, 2019
Quick work by firefighters on Friday afternoon prevented the first big fire of the winter season becoming much worse.
Cherbourg Fire Station Captain Cameron Bond said fire fighters were advised about 1:30pm on Friday that a fire had broken out on either side of a track in the Wondai Forestry area.
The fire quickly spread over an area of between four and five acres but was quickly brought under control.
However, a second fire broke out in heavily timbered, hilly country nearby.
Fire crews called in a bulldozer from Cherbourg Council to cut an access route through the forestry and put a cleared earth break around the affected area.
Once this was done, back-burning allowed the second blaze to be contained to a 100-acre area.
Cherbourg’s fire crew was first on the scene and was supported by other brigades from Murgon, Tablelands, McEuen and Mondure, along with staff from National Parks, police and Cherbourg Council.
The second fire took about five hours to contain but was extinguished by Friday night.
The area was patrolled by National Parks crews from Kingaroy on Saturday to ensure it did not reignite.
[Photos: Cameron Bond]
