THE fire danger rating is set to soar in coming days in North Queensland and residents are being urged to be vigilent.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Regional Manager Tony Hazell said dry conditions and low humidity meant bushfires had the potential to start and spread quickly.
He warned property owners using machinery of power tools to be particularly cautious, or cease the use of equipment all together until the threat lessened.
“In these conditions it only takes one spark from power tools or machinery to trigger a dangerous bushfire,” Mr Hazell said.
“If you must use machinery over the coming days it’s vital you do so with extreme care and ensure you have equipment on hand to extinguish any fire that may start.
“Firefighters around the region are well prepared but we want the community to help us out by remaining vigilant and staying up-to-date as conditions change.”
It has been an active start to the fire season in the North, with firies battling 29 vegetation fires between Ingham and Bowen in the first two weeks of August.
“Although some of these fires were only small, in the right conditions any fire can take hold quickly and threaten property and lives,” Mr Hazell said.
He said a bushfire survival plan was essential for anyone living in a bushfire prone environment.
“Everyone should have a bushfire survival plan in place and know what steps they are going to take if a bushfire were to threaten their property,” he said.
“We are in the grips of bushfire season and fires can start anywhere, at any time. We can’t be complacent during these conditions.”