An emergency bushfire warning has been issued south of Mackay, with Queensland emergency services advising there is a fast-moving blaze approaching Campwin Beach and residents should leave immediately.
The Rural Fire Service said residents should act now as the fire, which is moving in a northerly direction, is expected to have a significant impact on the community.
Close to 200 fires are burning across Queensland and watch and act warnings are still in place at a number of locations in central and northern regions.
The area of Deepwater and nearby Baffle Creek, Rules Beach and Oyster Creek have also been issued with evacuation notices.
However, weather conditions are expected to be more favourable today for firefighters battling bushfires across the state.
Fire conditions classed as catastrophic on Wednesday resulted in the rapid evacuation of Gracemere, south of Rockhampton, as a fast-moving fire headed for the town on Wednesday afternoon.
Within hours, most of the town's 8,000 residents had fled to Rockhampton, with authorities praising the safe and orderly evacuation.
The ABC confirmed about 200 Gracemere residents spent the night at the evacuation centre at Rockhampton Showgrounds.
Fire continued to advance on Gracemere with the aerial firefighting effort called off at nightfall.
Queensland Police said roads into Gracemere remained closed, including the Capricorn Highway and the Burnett Highway at Gavial-Gracemere Road.
Education Queensland says more than 40 schools will be closed today as a result of the fires.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michelle Berry said conditions would improve today, but the threat remained.
"While the winds will decrease, and the fire danger will also drop back a bit, we'll still have a very dry air mass persisting and also hot conditions as well," she said.
State Disaster Management Coordinator Bob Gee said central Queensland remained on alert, saying "we're not out of the woods yet".
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said with the unprecedented fire threat, families in that catastrophic zone needed to focus on staying safe.
"There is a big fire risk still right across our state," she said on Wednesday night.
What is a catastrophic fire?
- A catastrophic fire danger rating is as bad as it gets
- While some homes may survive a severe or extreme fire if you're well prepared, the Country Fire Authority says no homes are designed to withstand catastrophic conditions
- If a fire starts and takes hold during catastrophic fire conditions, the weather bureau says it will be "extremely difficult to control" and take "significant firefighting resources"
- This is the first time a catastrophic fire warning has been issued in Queensland
- When these warnings are issued, your only safe option is to leave the area early
- The catastrophic category was added following the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Victoria
While the heatwave is expected to persist into next week, the catastrophic declaration has been marginally downgraded to a severe fire risk for the Central Coast and Whitsundays on Thursday.
On Queensland's Sunshine Coast, police revoked an emergency declaration for Caloundra in the Little Mountain area.
Emergency services issued an advice warning for a bushfire burning on the north side of Caloundra Road in the Little Mountain Area, but police now say the fire is no longer posing a threat to homes.
An advice warning has also been issued for a bushfire burning on North Stradbroke Island near Eighteen Mile Swamp, south of Alfred Martin Way near Main Beach.
Hundreds of fire fighters from interstate are still working alongside their Queensland colleagues, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has praised the reinforcements.
"The firefighting response is being provided by these civilian fire authorities whether it's from New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Western Australia. New South Wales is actually sending more tomorrow," he said.
"And they have been joining the Queensland effort and a very coordinated effort."
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