Curtis Island bushfire suspected arson
Issued: 29 May 2023
The fire is burning in the marine plain.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is using aerial and on-ground operations to contain a bushfire on Curtis Island that appears to have been deliberately lit.
On Sunday 28 May 2023, QPWS rangers completed two planned burns in the north of Curtis Island adjacent to the marine plain.
Around 1:45pm, while conducting final mopping up operations for the planned burns rangers noticed a bushfire spreading on the marine plan up to 2km away from the areas where the planned burns were conducted.
Rangers immediately responded to the bushfire and given the distance between the bushfire and the planned burns, rangers believe the fire is an incident of arson.
The fire is currently burning in the southern end of the marine plane and adjacent woodlands, and is travelling in a north, north-east and southerly direction.
Rangers are using a grader and a dozer to clear firebreaks, and operations are currently underway to help control the fire and prevent it from reaching sensitive habitat.
The bushfire is impacting the fire sensitive marine plain, and could impact on fire-sensitive coastal dune forests, and the habitat of the yellow chat, a threatened species of bird.
Rangers will continue to work to slow the spread and contain the bushfire to the north of Curtis Island, and extra fire-trained rangers and fire vehicles have arrived on Curtis Island to provide support.
Anyone with information about the bushfire is urged to contact the Queensland Police Service or the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 130 372.