Minden fire halts traffic
NINE fire crews fought to contain a large grassfire next to the Warrego Highway at Minden yesterday.
The blaze was the second fire to hit the site in a fortnight, and began between Mountainview Dr and the highway at 1.40pm.
It quickly took hold of 200sq m of dry grassland and police were called to close off both lanes at about 2pm.
A Department of Communities spokeswoman said no properties were under threat, but the fire was burning close to the road and police held concerns for motorists.
"A mix of nine rural and urban fire trucks attended and by 2.45pm the fire was under control," the spokeswoman said.
The Toowoomba-bound lanes were closed for a short time, with one lane initially reopened before both lanes were cleared about 3.20pm.
"Crews began mopping up at 3.15pm and when they left at 4.20pm the fire was still smouldering, but the scene was safe," she said.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Rural Operations acting regional manager Ferg Adrian said the combination of dry vegetation and warm windy weather meant a small fire had the potential to spread quickly.
"In conditions such as this, precautions to prevent a fire igniting must be taken including having adequate firefighting equipment available to extinguish any fire which may start," Mr Adrian said.
He reminded motorists of the dangers of flicking cigarette butts outside car windows.
Cigarette butts were one of the major causes of roadside fires, which could be avoided if people didn't throw them out, he said.
"Every cigarette butt has the potential to cause a life-threatening fire for not only fellow motorists, but emergency crews who are called. Smoke haze caused by these fires has the potential to cause serious accidents particularly on busy highways," he said.
