Firefighters battling Queensland blaze presented with adorable gifts from children

Firefighters who have been battling blazes in Queensland have been given reason to smile after receiving special gifts from school students.

Some emergency workers were given handmade cards with messages of support and thanks from local children in Captain Creek along with their packed lunches on Monday.

One of the cards said “you’re the best!” and another thanked the firefighters for helping to protect their community.

“I’ll be taking that back down to New South Wales and putting it in our brigade ward, so thanks heaps kids,” Rob Collins, a firefighter from NSW told 7News.

Around 100 firefighters are still working in the region from across three states.

More than 100 fires still burning across the state

According to AAP, more than 100 blazes continue to burn across Queensland but authorities believe the state’s unprecedented bushfire crisis won’t drag on for much longer.

Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford says heatwave conditions that have swept the state should abate by the middle of the week.

“We’re at day nine of significant operations (but) we’re nearly there,” he told the ABC on Monday.

“Once we get through to Wednesday this whole heatwave epidemic that we’re having will subside.”

He said that meant control lines around active blazes would have a much better chance of holding, and residents forced from their homes could think about returning.

About noon on Monday, people on Curtis Island near Gladstone were told to prepare to leave, with an unpredictable fire burning there.

Crews are monitoring six significant fires burning in central Queensland. They are all in and around Deepwater, the place where the bushfire emergency began more than a week ago.

Firefighters are closely watching fires at Deepwater, Captain Creek, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach, Winfield and Lowmead, with residents warned to be ready to leave if the situation worsens.

Mr Crawford said evacuees were eager to return home but authorities had to make sure the fire threat had passed.

He also warned people could be killed in the clean-up phase, with falling trees in scorched areas a major risk.

“There’s still a lot of danger left in a lot of these places,” he said.

About 500 firefighters from interstate are still working the fire grounds, but Mr Crawford said they should all return home towards the end of the week.

“The weather is supposed to be well and truly in our favour (by then),” he said.

– with AAP