Waterbombing helicopter crashes while fighting fire in Queensland
A helicopter pilot has survived a crash while waterbombing a fire west of Brisbane.
The pilot crashed off of Grapetree Road while bombing the Pechey fire near Toowoomba at about 2pm on Wednesday.
They are being treated at the scene of the crash by Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics for non-life threatening injuries.
A spokesman said the pilot made a "hard landing".
A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia the pilot has been transported to Toowoomba Hospital in stable condition with minor abrasions.
Firies are reportedly concerned about the fuel inside the helicopter and have set-up a safety zone around it, according to The Courier Mail.
Queensland bushfires worsen
Queensland firefighters are braced for a dangerous collision of weather systems as more than 70 fires continue to burn in the state.
A severe fire danger warning is in place for a large swathe of southern Queensland, with soaring temperatures and thunderstorms expected on Wednesday.
"We've got another tough day today and there is an extended forecast that we are not out the woods by any means," Acting Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commission Michael Wassing said.
A 'leave immediately' warning is in place for Noosa North Shore, an isolated community on the Sunshine Coast only accessible by boat.
Locals are being told to use the local ferry to reach the mainland as waterbombers and ground crews battle the blaze.
Resident Dave Wright has instead readied his boats to get out if the situation worsens.
"The dinghies are in the water and primed to go," the Noosa North Shore rural fire brigade member has told The Sunshine Coast Daily.
"It's how we travel every day."
There are 'leave now' warnings for nearby Kilkivan, at Woodgate, south of Bundaberg, and at Pechey near Toowoomba.
A large fire is still burning in difficult terrain near the five-star Spicers Peak Lodge on the Southern Downs.
That fire is now burning between containment lines and is not directly impacting properties.
Resort managers knew some days ago that fire would likely threaten the property, and began advising guests not to keep their bookings.
Only a couple of staff are still on-site.
Authorities are most concerned about the sheer size and number of fires burning in parched land that is difficult to access.
There are several fires west of the Gold Coast, including in the Scenic Rim, that officials are anxiously watching.
Mayor Greg Christensen fears another black day, two months on from the September fires that destroyed 11 homes and the historic Binna Burra Lodge in the hinterland and Scenic Rim.
"With the volatility of the wind, the extreme temperatures and the pre-heating already of the fuels, events can unfold very rapidly and we're stressing the urgency of being prepared," he said.
A blaze in Cobraball near Yeppoon in central Queensland continues to be of significant concern.
It has claimed 13 of the 14 houses lost in Queensland since late last week.
Winds are already picking up and temperatures in some areas are expected to be 6-8 degrees above average.
"We've got really hot, we've got really dry, windy conditions," the Bureau of Meteorology's Victoria Dodds said.
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Conditions are expected to ease on Thursday, but temperatures are heating up further into the weekend.
A severe fire danger warning is in place for the drought-stricken Darling Downs and Granite Belt, the Wide Bay and Burnett region, and the southeast coast taking in Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.
Fire authorities are comfortable with the resources Queensland has to deal with for the day that lies ahead, including 40 aircraft, and crews from New Zealand, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has asked Queenslanders to put their community above themselves and avoid reckless acts that could spark a fire.
Health officials have warned vulnerable people to stay indoors, with air quality expected to plunge again on Wednesday as smoke from the Queensland and NSW fires spreads.
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