High fire alert as temps soar

Eloise Handley | 24th August 2009

A NEW record was set yesterday as Warwick residents sweltered in unseasonably warm temperatures which reached 33 degrees.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Amber Young said the previous August record was 32 degrees set in 1995.

“The Warwick August average is 19.8. Saturday reached 28.8 and yesterday it was 33 degrees at 3pm.”

With the high temperatures comes a fire weather warning for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.

Even though it is still technically winter, Freestone Rural Fire Brigade first officer and Warwick Rural Fire Brigades group officer Alan Payne said the Southern Downs was on wildfire alert level three.

“Level four (the highest alert level) means there's a fire ... so level three means all rural fire brigades are on standby,” Mr Payne said.

“It's started early - at least one month early - as it usually doesn't start until mid-September.”

BOM senior forecaster Gavin Holcombe agreed and said there would be an extreme fire danger today.

“For the start of this week there'll be dry, gusty, north-westerly winds and temperatures will reach the low 30s, which is well above average,” Mr Holcombe said.

“The fire danger is extreme, especially today, but tomorrow will bring a cool change, which will return temperatures closer to average; still hot, but closer to average.”

Warm temperatures and gusty winds have created the perfect conditions for forest and grass fires.

“Because of the high fuel (dry and dead grass and dry timber) loads at the moment we're hovering at a very extreme fire danger situation,” Mr Payne said.

“Around Warwick grass fires are a real danger.”