Fire on Queensland Island Takes Heavy Toll on Wildlife

Locals in Queensland were lamenting the heavy toll to wildlife caused by a bushfire on Bribie Island on August 21 and 22, after photos were published showing dead kangaroos strewn along a beach.

Bribie resident Brendan Harvey captured footage of the raging fire as he and his wife, Kathryn, were off shore taking out their new Jet Skis on the eastern side of the island.

The Courier Mail said the fire engulfed some campsites and led to evacuations on Wednesday, August 21.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said that by Friday afternoon, August 23, crews were “mopping up and patrolling the edges of this fire, which is posing no threat to property at this time.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Science (DES) said the cause of the fire would be investigated. However, the Courier Mail said the fire may have been a controlled burn “gone wrong.” The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said on August 21 it was “aware of a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service burn on the northern part of Bribie Island.”

Brendan Harvey also suggested back-burning may have been the cause of the blaze. “The winds have picked up more than expected, gusting up to 50 knots from the west, which reignited back-burning from early in the week,” he said. “The Queensland firefighters and Queensland Parks and Wildlife have been working tirelessly to contain and manage the blaze the best they can.” Credit: Brendan Harvey via Storyful