Queensland faces a significant bushfire risk this season but it's not expected to match the catastrophic conditions of last year, firefighters say.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Queenslanders are being urged to prepare their properties with bushfire season officially beginning on Thursday.
Firefighters don't expect a repeat of the atrocious conditions that saw millions of hectares of bush destroyed last year.
But the risk is still there, with soil moisture low and higher than average temperatures expected.
"Conditions do not look the same as thy did during the 2018-19 season, but we can't afford to rest on our laurels," QFES Acting Commissioner Mike Wassing said.
"We are well placed to tackle the impending bushfire season with improvements made in areas such as command and control, logistics, communications and information management."
The toll from last year's disaster was confronting, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said.
"Four million hectares of land burnt, 2611 fires and 1984 bushfire community warnings issued," Mr Crawford said.
"Since the beginning of July, we've already had significant bushfires in the Wide Bay area, particularly around Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, and in the Gold Coast hinterland."
Australian Associated Press
