An internal Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) report into a Gold Coast bushfire that destroyed the Binna Burra lodge has cast doubt over original claims it was started by a cigarette.
The report, obtained under Right to Information laws, found the blaze in 2019 was more likely started at a mystery shooting range in bushland.
Written by one of the most experienced QFES investigators, the report also included evidence claiming that during the fire, firefighters left one containment point that was logged as being "under control".
It was not.
The blaze then raged out of control, trapping three people and a dog in a car on a remote ridge, before destroying the iconic Binna Burra lodge, 11 houses and a vast swathe of the World Heritage Listed Lamington National Park, according to material that was compiled for the investigation.
The contents of the report have shocked those impacted by the fire, with Binna Burra Lodge chairman Steve Noakes expressing concern the information only came to light through the ABC's Right to Information request.
The revelations prompted local farmer John Hinchliffe, who helped fight the fire, to demand authorities change the way they manage firefighting resources in Queensland and rely more on local knowledge.
The blaze, estimated to have caused millions of dollars in damage, started during one of Australia's worst fire seasons on August 31, 2019, in the rural Sarabah Valley about 30 kilometres west of the Gold Coast.
Initially, the fire burned north-east to threaten the town of Canungra, before being blown to the south and burning out of control.
In the aftermath, police launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, as a total fire ban was in place at the time.
In November 2019, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) said a discarded cigarette had likely sparked the blaze and that two local teenagers aged 17 and 19 were questioned, but no charges were laid after detectives determined it was an accident.
"A prosecution will not be commended against those persons … they are afforded privacy just like anyone else in their position," a QPS spokesperson said at the time.
But just days after the fire, QFES called in Mr Greimel to conduct a detailed investigation.
Mr Greimel's findings cast doubt over police claims about the cigarettes, stating the conditions at the time would have made it very difficult for a dropped cigarette to start the fire.
Mystery shooting range
He pointed to ignition from a completely different scenario involving a mystery shooting range deep in the bush in the Sarabah Valley.
During his detailed survey of the area where the fire started, he discovered a site being used as a "shooting range" with a large number of spent shotgun and rifle cartridges.
He found a series of wire and metal targets positioned alongside a track in the bush, and a large, plastic yellow workman figure normally used at construction sites also positioned around the track.
He also found a bottle of mineral turpentine and two spent fire extinguishers which appeared to have been used around the area.
Reports of hearing gunshots
Under the heading of elimination of possible causes, Mr Greimel said while no definite cause of ignition was determined, the most likely cause was "the result of shooting on the property".
"Various types of ammunition are capable of causing a bushfire through the discharge of hot materials or mechanical sparks caused when a bullet strikes a hard object and fragments, creating hot particles which land in the dry fuels," the report stated.
Mr Greimel noted witnesses had reported hearing gunshots and hearing or seeing motorbikes on the hills in the early afternoon of August 31, 2019.
He said the person or persons he believed might have been responsible for causing the fire lived in the valley.
He said cigarettes were very unlikely the cause of the fire.
No 'conclusive cause of ignition'
Asked about the report this week, the QPS backed their own findings, saying the matter had been finalised from their perspective and it had been determined the actions of identified persons accidentally caused the fire.
"The QPS acknowledges that there was no definitive cause of ignition," a QPS spokesperson said.
"Each fire is different, with a range of circumstances that have to be taken into account.
"The QPS worked with QFES throughout this investigation, attending the scene and considering a range of evidence."
A QFES spokesperson said it had worked with QPS and other partner agencies to investigate the cause of the fire.
Mr Greimel's report also contained material that raised questions about the government's claims that the blaze was managed in a "highly effective" manner — a claim that was made in an independent review by the Office of the Inspector General of Emergency Management (IGEM) into the Sarabah blaze.
The IGEM review, which was made public, concluded the government's preparedness and response were "highly effective in saving property and reducing the severity of the Sarabah fire and other blazes".
'No idea why crews left'
Mr Greimel's report contains a summary of a statement from senior Rural Fire Service (RFS) first officer Damon Rockliff that suggests the fire was contained at one point but later spread after crews left the containment point.
Mr Rockliff's statement alleges that on September 6, as the fire ran away to the south from Canungra, it approached a dirt laneway that rose from the valley floor up to a ridge about 10 kilometres north of Binna Burra.
Mr Rockliff states that at the time, the "fire along [the containment point] was reported contained by crews".
He then went on to say: "Crews left and fire spotted across [the] road shortly after".
"No idea why crews left,'' Mr Rockliff states.
Mr Rockliff declined to comment to the ABC yesterday.
'Multiple fires out of control'
Around the same time, the blaze was then reported to jump the containment point and became "multiple fires out of control," according to an official fire communications log that was obtained by Mr Greimel.
"Dangerous situations. Fire is heading south-east, not currently threatening houses, but we will do the best we can,'' was the recorded notes from the fire communications log late on the afternoon of September 6.
The log reveals the fire then trapped three people "in a house at the end of Tabletop Road".
"Cannot get ground crew into them. Have engaged ground crews to waterbomb the area,'' the log said.
The three people were told to stay in their car with their two dogs while water bombers operated around them to suppress the fire.
A rescue helicopter plucked the three people and the dog to safety, it said.
At the same time, "a house was lost".
A few hours later, reports were received that the fire was "spotting" or blowing embers over Binna Burra Road, which was about 4 kilometres to the east of Tabletop Road.
By 2:00am the next morning, the fire was burning down houses at Timbarra Road on the outskirts of the park and about 24 hours later Binna Burra lodge was destroyed.
In concluding his report, Mr Greimel recommended a "comprehensive post-operational fire analysis" be undertaken of the fire.
Bushfire was unprecedented in intensity
QFES did not rule out the scenario of the fire having been contained but said: "Due to the size of the fire, reference to it being contained might not relate to the fire in its entirety and firefighting crews are allocated to different areas of the fireground strategically based on operational need.
"A large contingent of QFES and interstate crews worked tirelessly on the Sarabah bushfire," a QFES spokesperson said.
"Their efforts greatly limited the impact of the bushfire and ensured no lives were lost.
"QFES makes operational decisions carefully, utilising contemporary predictive services capabilities, local knowledge and information about current and expected environmental conditions."
The QFES spokesperson said the bushfire was unprecedented in intensity and fire behaviour that significantly increased the risk to firefighters and hampered their ability to safely conduct backburning and fire suppression activities.
"Following the conclusion of the 2019-2020 bushfire season, QFES conducted an extensive debrief process which collected almost 3,000 observations from volunteers and staff to better appreciate the efforts of QFES during the season and identify lessons learned,'' the spokesperson said.
"This process encompassed [the] QFES response to the Sarabah bushfire.
Transparency important for 'public confidence'
Mr Noakes said the report could have major implications for his businesses.
"These reasons for fires are very significant in terms of issues to do with insurance and attributing liability. They're very important pieces of public record," Mr Noakes said.
"It'd be very important and very useful to understand how the police came up with their assessments within two months after the bushfire and how it matches against the information that's become evident in the report the ABC has shared with us.
"We'd like to know exactly what happened and what were the causes of the fire that caused the devastation."
Mr Noakes also praised the efforts of firefighters, who saved hundreds of homes, but questioned why the report had not been made public.
