Sydney
Residents of Dirranbandi, a town in Queensland, Australia, were forced to evacuate on Tuesday night due to a rapidly spreading bushfire. The Queensland Police declared an emergency and ordered the town’s approximately 600 residents to leave immediately around 8 p.m. local time.
The fires, burning to the southeast and northeast of the town, were advancing northwards. As of Wednesday morning, a “Watch and Act” warning remained in place, and authorities advised that it was not safe for residents to return.
An evacuation centre was set up 80 km north of Dirranbandi, with evacuees advised to bring essential items and bedding. Local Mayor Samantha O’Toole described the situation as extraordinary, emphasizing the unusual nature of the crisis.
Firefighters from Queensland and New South Wales, including aerial water-bombing teams, battled the fires overnight, with plans to continue working towards containment. The fires caused significant disruptions, including downed power lines and telecommunications outages in Dirranbandi since 1 a.m. Wednesday.
On top of the fire threat, Dirranbandi was facing a heatwave, with temperatures predicted to hit 42°C. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave warning for much of Queensland, with temperatures up to 10°C higher than usual for November.
