North Queenslanders have been given a final warning to leave their properties with firefighters working through the night to keep bushfires at bay, in what has been described as never before seen fire behaviour.
More than 80 fires are burning, the worst at Deepwater, where 20 000 hectares of bush and farming property has been destroyed.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the state is facing a horrendous 48 hours, with no respite in sight.