'Extraordinary' Queensland bushfires an 'historic event'

Queensland’s catastrophic bushfires which have destroyed a number of homes have been described as “extraordinary” and unlike anything seen at this time of the year.

Twenty structures have been destroyed by bushfires since Thursday when the state's fire season began with severe to extreme conditions across much of the south.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services say the damage includes 11 homes lost in Sarabah and Binna Burra, as well as three in the Southern Downs region and one in the far north.

There was good news overnight, when an 85-year-old man reported missing from Beechmont, near the Binna Burra fire, was found safe and well.

QFES predictive services inspector Andrew Sturgess told reporters on Sunday the fire danger for this time of the year is unlike anything firies have seen before.

He compared the current fire danger to fires which wreaked havoc in Rockhampton in November last year.

“In order of magnitude, this is above anything we've ever seen this event, compared with that event in November-December last year, again it is a historic event,” he said.

“We have never seen fire danger indices, ratings, at this time of the year ... Fire danger has never been this severe this early in the year.”

Hundreds of people were evacuated in Stanthorpe and Applethorpe on Friday, and from Applethorpe again on Saturday afternoon but that ferocious fire was downgraded early on Sunday to a watch and act warning.

Residents have been warned to be prepared to leave because the dangerous fire that's heading in north/north-east towards Applethorp could get worse very quickly.

The drought-stricken area, where there's little water left, is facing another difficult night.

QFES assistant commissioner Megan Stiffler told a community meeting in Stanthorpe on Saturday they would not have the fire under control before Monday.

"We have days ahead of us and lots of hard work through the night to secure all edges of this fire," she said.

In the Gold Coast hinterland, where 11 homes have been lost, the fire was raging on both sides of Binna Burra road early on Sunday and moving easterly towards Numinbah Valley and Springbrook.

QFES Assistant Commissioner Kevin Walsh said the blazes that destroyed those homes ferocious fires in the worst conditions he'd ever seen.

"Firefighters stood side by side battling wind gusts of up to 90km/h," he said.

"I've never seen anything as bad as that."

Scenic Rim Regional Council Mayor Greg Christensen has warned his community that for some, it's still too dangerous to return.

Winds along the coast and inland are expected to ease back from Tuesday.

Authorities have praised affected residents for heeding advice but warned against complacency.

QFES Assistant Commissioner Mike Wassing said it’s expected the number of fires will slowly grow.

However, he expects no further impact on the communities of Stanthorpe and Applethorpe.

Fires ‘deliberately lit’ at Pimpama

Gold Coast Police are investigating a deliberately-lit fire in the suburb of Pimpama on Saturday.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters “it’s extremely disappointing”.

“Not only are peoples’ lives, including emergency services workers, put at risk (but) the people who do these sorts of acts tie up police resources for the investigation,” he said.

Dep Comm Gollschewski added police will be “relentless” in trying to find the people responsible.

NSW battles blazes

Firefighters are battling several out-of-control bushfires across NSW with strong winds causing challenging conditions for crews.

Firefighting efforts on Sunday have been focused on two out-of-control blazes at Bees Nest in Armidale and Long Gully Road in Drake, east of Tenterfield, which are both at watch-and-act alert level.

Despite cooler weather across NSW, strong and damaging winds of up to 70km/h are expected to ramp up fire activity with very high fire dangers in the state's far north coast, north coast and New England areas.

"Those winds are still firing up the fire danger," a NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman said on Sunday.

The Bees Nest blaze, which is burning on multiple fronts, has torched more than 56,000 hectares, twice the size of the Sydney city council area.

A large spot fire is also burning in Muldiva State Forest with crews working to slow its spread.

The Long Gully Road fire has burnt more than 22,000 hectares and is expected to reach the village of Drake later on Sunday, the RFS said on Twitter.

Residents near both fires have been advised to enact their bushfire survival plans.

A number of homes have been lost or damaged by fires in the state since Friday with RFS building impact assessment teams on Sunday planning to visit areas they haven't been able to reach before because of fire activity.

A 66-year-old volunteer firefighter was on Friday hospitalised after his hands, arm, legs, back, face and airways were burned while he and a colleague fought a fire at Mount Mackenzie Road south of Tenterfield.

Neville Smith is in a critical but stable condition at Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The Mount Mackenzie Road blaze has burned more than 3500 hectares and on Sunday morning was being controlled by firefighters.

One home has been destroyed in the fire, four have been damaged and three facilities, including two car yards, have been ruined.

But at least another 65 homes were saved by firefighters.

Some 60 fires remain burning across the state, with 21 of them still uncontained on Sunday morning.

Armidale, Clarence Valley, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha local government areas have been declared natural disaster zones, allowing residents to access state and federal financial support.

The Insurance Council has also declared a catastrophe for bushfires that have destroyed homes or property in the state's north, giving priority to claims from affected policyholders.

With AAP

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