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Concerned residents abandoned their homes and fled as wildfires closed in on hundreds of suburban properties in Australia's northeast, officials said, adding there was likely worse to come.
There were no forced evacuations, but officials urged anyone not prepared to protect their property to flee as flames of up to four metres (13 feet) closed in on Rockhampton city, north of Brisbane.
Erratic winds fanned the blaze from the Mount Archer National Park, where it has been burning for 11 days, officials said. Aerial water bombing and work by crews on the ground prevented the flames from reaching property, but the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service warned the threat had not yet passed as winds remained high.
"Crews protected approximately 100 houses in the area this morning with minimal loss reported," the service said. "Residents in these areas are urged to remain vigilant in case conditions change."
Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the blazes were a sobering reminder of the coming southern hemisphere summer, which authorities fear could pose a devastating fire threat.
In February, bushfires killed 173 people in the southeastern state of Victoria, eradicating entire towns and destroying thousands of homes in a firestorm known as Black Saturday.
