The Department of Environment and Science (DES) has told visitors to Teewah to stop lighting campfires following a fire re-ignition which threatened nearby dunes.
Senior Ranger for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) at DES, Col Lawton said the people who lit the prohibited campfire left the camping area and did not put it out correctly.
“Thankfully nearby campers formed a bucket brigade and doused the fire until Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers arrived, along with the Teewah Rural Fire Brigade,” Senior Ranger Lawton said.
“This was a very narrow escape, as the fire had progressed to the dunes and was being driven by extremely strong westerly winds.”
He said the fire had burnt out an area of about 40 square metres.
“Had the fire burned for another 10 minutes it would almost certainly have escaped up the steep dunes and into thousands of hectares of inaccessible country,” Senior Ranger Lawton said.
“The last bushfire in September 2019 was the result of an escaped campfire and burned around 15,000 hectares of the national park.”
He said open campfires had been prohibited at Teewah for almost a year for safety reasons and the latest fire was being investigated.
“Unfortunately, irresponsible campers are ignoring the rules and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is asking for public assistance to identify the person or people responsible for the fire,” Senior Ranger Lawton said.
“Every weekend, rangers are handing out fines to people who don’t care about their fellow campers or the national park and light prohibited campfires,” he said.
