A ‘FAST-moving’ fire at The Spit is finally under control after it had earlier forced the evacuation of Sea World and left hundreds stranded at the beach.
An emergent situation was declared from the northern end of McArthur Pde at Main Beach to the end of The Spit after the fire broke out at 9.45am. It was revoked just before 2pm.
Hundreds of people were stranded at the northern end of the Spit with nowhere to go at the height of the emergency. By 2pm, they were still stuck there.
Two waterbombing aircraft equipped with large water bags slung underneath made multiple round trips from the Hinze Dam and Gold Coast Turf Club to douse the Spit fire.
Thirteen fire crews attended with ground crews expected to keep an eye on the blaze throughout the afternoon.
Police had evacuated Sea World and the Seaworld Resort and Water Park but — by 2pm — were allowing patrons back in.
The fire is still burning but is now under control. Access past Sea World to the northern end of The Spit remains restricted and an incident control centre has been set up, where northbound traffic has been blocked from entering.
EARLIER: Firefighters say not everyone has been evacuated and the Main Beach fire is spreading quickly, being fanned by strong northerly winds as temperatures soar past 31C on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast Bulletin reporter Shaya Laughlin is currently stuck between fire fronts and has been forced to seek refuge by the water.
“It is very hectic right now trying to get out, the fire was 20m from my car,” she said.
“We’re stuck in the middle so we’ve gone near the water. Waterbombers are flying overhead.
Smoke started billowing from the area when the blaze ignited at 9.45am sending thousands of beachgoers fleeing and multiple calls to Triple 0.
Two witnesses said the fire started with a plume of smoke and they could smell diesel or marine fuel. Witnesses said hundreds of people were trapped at the kiosk end of the Spit while the blaze raged.
There have been reports it took fire crews 30 minutes to arrive despite multiple calls after the blaze first started.
Several fire crews are on scene, rural firefighters are being called in and choppers are waterbombing the scrub in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.
Police have blocked access to The Spit from Marina Mirage and traffic is jammed on SeaWorld Drive as thousands of beachgoers flee the area — the only way out.
Federation Walk leader Lyn Wright said she was shocked to learn of the fire.
She said The Spit last had a blaze five years ago.
Her team regularly visit the bushland and did not see any worrying recent signs of a dry fuel load which could spark a fire.
“They’re evacuating people and stopping them from coming in. When it is safe, we will go back in and have a look,” she said.
Police finally alerted the public about a dangerous wildfire in a highly-populated area two hours after it began.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reported the fire almost as soon as it began at 9.45am after staff saw the smoke.
The Queensland Police Service turned off their analogue scanners last month, switching to a digital system which cannot be heard by the public or the media outlets which pass on important public safety messages.
Their media unit issued a release at 11.40am, after much of the area was engulfed by flames and Sea World had been evacuated.
Neither of the QPS media Twitter nor Facebook profiles had mentioned the fire either.
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