The air in a Brisbane suburb was more toxic than New Delhi last week as a blitz of hazard reduction burns ahead of bushfire season left parts of the southeast smothered in thick smoke.<\/p>\n
An analysis of data from state air monitoring stations reveals the air in Rocklea was more than eight times more toxic than New Delhi in the early hours of Thursday, August 8.<\/p>\n
While India\u2019s notoriously smoggy capital recorded an hourly reading of 35.8, Rocklea hit an extreme peak of 293.1 \u2014 completely shattering the national safe air quality level of 25.<\/p>\n
Monitoring stations across Queensland have recorded a combined 142 hours of air exceeding safe limits since August 1.<\/p>\n
Rocklea suffered the worst with 24 hours of toxic air, followed by Springwood, South Brisbane and Woolloongabba with 16 hours each. Cannon Hill and Raceview followed closely behind with 15 and 12 hours respectively.<\/p>\n
The Department of Environment has warned this type of microscopic smoke pollution, known as PM2.5, was incredibly dangerous. The tiny particles are small enough to bypass the body\u2019s natural defences and lodge deep in the lungs, triggering severe breathing issues.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, a hazard reduction burn at Greenbank the previous day pushed Rocklea\u2019s PM2.5 levels up to 85.8 \u2014 more than three times the safety limit. Residents across Logan and Ipswich took to social media to report difficulty breathing as thick smoke seeped into homes, schools and workplaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoronia Heights was absolutely smothered by 3pm,\u201d local resident Anastasia Maree wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t even escape it by being inside. The bathroom windows have built-in vents that I had to block off to stop the smoke pouring into the house. We\u2019re really lucky the kids didn\u2019t have an asthma attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jessica Wells, of Browns Plains, described the air quality as \u201cawful,\u201d with smoke sitting so thick it resembled heavy fog well into the early hours of Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
Kingston school cleaner Tara-lee Bennett said the air quality on Tuesday severely impacted her asthma while at work.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d think the smoke was next door,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
With Queensland\u2019s bushfire season spanning from late winter to early summer, August and September serve as a vital hazard reduction window for authorities rushing to clear dense undergrowth.<\/p>\n
An analysis of Queensland Fire Department Permit to Burn submissions reveals the high volume of mitigation efforts, with about 1000 permits activated across the state.<\/p>\n
On August 8, the same day Rocklea\u2019s air quality eclipsed New Delhi\u2019s, Queensland hit a peak of 180 active burn permits registered across 151 suburbs. These included permits to burn timber, forest undergrowth, trash, pasture, bonfires and grass.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, August 11, when Logan residents were engulfed in thick smoke, 72 suburbs had 79 burn permits registered statewide.<\/p>\n
What you should do:<\/p>\n
\u2013 If the smoke is thick where you are, stay inside and close windows and doors.<\/p>\n
\u2013 If you need medication to help you breathe keep it close.<\/p>\n
\u2013 If you are worried about your health call your doctor or 13 HEALTH (13 432 584). If it is an emergency, call triple-0 (000) now.<\/p>\n
\u2013 If you are affected by the smoke you may need to leave the area.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Do not fly drones around the fire as they affect firefighting. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The air in a Brisbane suburb was more toxic than New Delhi last week as a blitz 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