K’gari fire

Issued: 1 Dec 2020

QPWS has conducted significant fire mitigation on K’gari (Fraser Island), with planned burns averaging approximately 13,000 hectares per year over the last five years.

A poorly extinguished and illegal campfire is the suspected cause of this devastating fire.

We need campers across Queensland to take responsibility for putting out fires properly to save lives, property and the environment.

QPWS responded as soon as the fire was reported on 14 October 2020.

The fire has been burning for most of that period in remote and inaccessible parts of the island making containment very challenging.

Several factors including hot, dry and windy conditions have reduced the effectiveness of firefighting efforts that have been ongoing on the island.

The QFES and QPWS Incident Management Team is continuing to monitor and manage the situation.

Multiple QPWS crews are on the ground each day, working alongside QFES as the lead agency and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation.

Anyone with information about the illegal campfire is urged to contact the department. A person who fails to extinguish a campfire properly can face fines of up to $22,019.