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Qld fire crews to use live monitoring

Queensland's firefighters will be able to monitor live footage from specialist fixed-wing aircraft this bushfire season.

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) will also have access to three extra aircraft that will remain on stand-by west of Dalby, the state government announced on Sunday.

The new technology would mean fire incident commanders no longer had to rely on reports over radio from above, Premier Campbell Newman said.

"Live streaming technology ... provides vision from aircraft directly to commanders on the ground on an iPad and in the State Operations Centre, allowing quick action to save life and property," Mr Newman said.

The rollout of a digital mapping application for iPhones or iPads would allow crews to plan back-burning or operational responses anywhere, Police, Fire and Emergency Services minister Jack Dempsey said.

Meanwhile, firefighters were on Sunday using water bombing aircraft to battle a blaze at Ballandean, near Stanthorpe in southeast Queensland.

The fire was not threatening homes, however the QFES advised residents to take precautionary measures.