Bushfire information sources for media
Reliable and useful sources of information about bushfires for the media:
| Topic | Source, website, or details | |
|---|---|---|
| Current bushfire warnings and incidents | Current bushfire warnings and incidents are published at: These alerts are also posted on the Queensland Fire Department social media channels: Subscribing to feeds Feeds, also known as “RSS feeds”, “XML feeds” or “news feeds”, can help you to keep up-to-date with information from the Queensland Fire Department websites. Feeds can be viewed using some browsers or by using a feed reader (also known as feed aggregator) software. View the:
Additional bushfire warnings data feed options are available on Queensland Government Open Data Portal. Note: The data feed can have up to a 5 minute delay after warning updates are published. | |
| Queensland Fire Department Newsroom alerts | Media can sign up for alerts by subscribing to the Queensland Fire Department Newsroom. Subscribing also allows accredited journalists or media representatives to be notified of media opportunities and press conferences. | |
| Media enquiries | Queensland Fire Department has a 24/7 media service for accredited journalists or media representatives. | |
| Understanding bushfire warnings | Learn about the 3 bushfire warnings levels, what they mean, and what you need to do: Advice (Yellow); Watch and Act (Orange); and Emergency Warning (Red). | |
| Queensland Government Bushfire Website | The Queensland Government Bushfire Website acts as a source of truth and gateway so that Queenslanders can easily find reliable information about bushfire. It has bushfire information suitable for the general public, and a dedicated section with information links for councils and disaster management practitioners. The bushfire website is designed to present clear sections to assist users to:
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| Bushfire Survival Plan | For advice and resources to prepare your family and property now, so everyone knows what actions to take to survive, go to: | |
Queensland’s local governments have disaster dashboards and/or websites that provide important information to support local communities during and after disaster events. Disaster dashboards generally include information about:
Many council disaster dashboards also offer an option to sign up for local weather alerts and notifications. | ||
BOM’s online newsroom provides material that can be easily sourced and referenced by journalists when reporting on weather events, warnings and associated preparedness and response activities. BOM provides the Heatwave Service for Australia. This includes three-day heatwave assessments and forecasts, as well as useful links to state health departments’ heatwave information. Social media for the Bureau of Meteorology: BOM Media’s ‘journalist only’ service is also available 6am to 10pm daily to respond to enquiries regarding severe weather. BOM Media hotline: (03) 9669 4057 | ||
| QLDTraffic | The QLDTraffic website is managed by the Queensland Government through the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and provides information on road and traffic conditions statewide, including closures and restrictions due to flooding. QLDTraffic is also available as an app via the App Store or Google Play, by calling TMR’s 24/7 phone service on 13 19 40, or across a number of regional X (Twitter) accounts. | |
| Queensland's bushfire season | Due to its geographical location and climate Queensland's bushfire season is often more prolonged than other parts of Australia, commencing in the Far North as early as July before progressing down to southern areas as spring approaches. The state’s bushfire season can then stretch out to February in southern and far south-west areas, however, these timeframes can vary significantly year to year, depending on fuel loads, climate trends and localised weather conditions. It’s important to acknowledge though bushfires can happen at any time, like every type of disaster, especially with temperatures as warm as Queensland produces all year round. All it takes are the three elements – heat, fuel and oxygen – for a spark to turn into flames. Learn about Queensland's bushfire season. | |
| Disaster management, disaster recovery, and disaster resilience | Disaster management in Queensland is a shared responsibility. Queensland disaster management arrangements comprise a four-tiered system: three levels of government (local, state and federal) and an additional state government tier between local and state levels known as disaster districts. These disaster districts enable efficient and effective operational response in support of local communities, and address the size, complexity and diversity of Queensland. Learn more about Disaster management, disaster recovery, and disaster resilience in Queensland. | |
| Queensland Government media statements | Queensland Government media statements |