Lighter winds may help firefighters with dozens of blazes in Queensland, where homes have been evacuated in the paths of raging bushfires.

November 11, 2019

Calmer conditions may help firefighters gain the upper hand as they battle more than 50 bushfires across Queensland, but dangerous winds look to set to return.

The most challenging blazes are at Cooroibah, north of Noosa, and Cobraball near Yeppoon, where 17 homes have been lost and thousands of people were forced to flee.

Residents have also been told to evacuate a fire at Thorton in the Lockyer Valley.

A prepare to leave warning remains in place for blazes at Tarome and Clumber, about 80km southwest of Brisbane, Kilkivan and Jimna near Gympie and Lower Beechmont in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Bill Ludwig says the out of control Cobraball blaze is one of most dangerous and unpredictable fires the region had seen.

“This is a fire with multiple fronts, there’s a front heading to the north, two heading to the east in different locations and one heading to the south and another the west,” he told AAP.

“With no rain on the horizon, this is something has to play out through the reduction of fuel loads through the fire working its way in the direction the elements are taking it.”

To the south, firefighters have been able to gain the upper hand on a series of blazes that forced about 8000 people from their homes in the suburbs to the north of Noosa.

Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington says gusty northwesterly winds early on Sunday had caused the main fire front to flare up but a significant firefighting effort allowed crews to gain control late in the day.

“They threw masses of resources at it because they were very concerned it might impact on (more) houses,” he told AAP.

“But they were able to hold it back, which is terrific.”

Mr Wellington said emergency services were continuing to assess the fire to see if it was possible for some resident tot to return home.

“If not tonight, hopefully, we can get everyone home tomorrow,” he said.

A light, humid seabreeze should assist firefighting efforts in coastal areas on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said.

“It will hopefully allow firefighters to get a bit of a handle on the fires,” he said.

However, a fresh gustier sea breeze could challenge firefighters in the Yeppoon later in the day.

Tuesday will see increasing northerly winds in the morning move toward the northwest later in the day and become moderate to gusty, he said.

“As the dry and gusty winds mix with the fire it can cause the fire to pick up and run much faster,” he said.

“That will increase the fire danger.”