For the first time in north west history, a water bomber is assisting graziers to fight a fire at Mount Isa that continues to burn towards town.
The Fire Boss fixed-wing bomber, arrived in Mount Isa on October 26, tasked to help control a bushfire burning five kilometres east of Mount Isa.
The fire started on October 16 when a vehicle's wheel bearing caught alight on the Barkly Highway, with graziers battling to control the blaze.
Rural Fire Service acting area director Mark Wilkinson said the fire had burnt thousands of hectares and was now burning the final mountain range before town.
"Once it hit that ridge that was our trigger to initiate aircraft bombing, so we've been had continuous aircraft bombing across that ridge which has really reduced the fire intensity," Mr Wilkinson said.
"We've cut a number of lines at the bottom of that range, two and a half blades wide and we have crews patrolling the bottom of the ridge for spot fires and holding it on that line.
"Our concern earlier today, was the strong south, south westerly and it was going to impact the highway severely, but because we hit it early with aircraft we have been able to stop the rate of spread. The highway did close for a short period of time due to smoke but we were able to open it back up within half an hour."
Mr Wilkinson said this was the first time Mount Isa had a water bomber in the north west.
"This is the first time we've had aircraft supporting fires in Mount Isa and the north west, at all, so it is good to see that support," he said.
"A bomber will never put out a fire but it will suppress, to allow time to put in a break or a back burn and reduce the intensity. I am glad we have been able to organise it for this, it is a great addition to what we are trying to achieve today.
"In addition council water trucks are on standby to offer bulk water for us. Glencore has be generous to allow us to borrow some large water trucks that a stationed just outside Breakaway, so if we do require water we can use those cannons.
"It has calmed down as bit but we are expecting some more significant winds to come up later today, so we are going through out options now on best strategies to ensure the fire doesn't flare up again in the coming days."
Warnings have been released to locals about fire, but Mr Wilkinson said there was no reason to panic.
"We want to get the message out not to panic, we just have a lot of equipment here, because we are hitting it as hard as we can now so it doesn't get a run on in the flat areas where the fuel is more loaded," he said.
"The area burnt, we are talking tens of thousands of acres. We have the fire to the east of Mount Isa, the Gunpowder fire to the north that is affecting landholders and the Lady Annie mine and a third fire on private property (Split Rock Station) further north near Camooweal.
"Our resources are currently prioritised for town but obviously we are offering strategic support with our fire behaviour analysis to landholders in the north to offer some predictions to help with their strategy."
Mr Wilkinson said the bomber would remain stationed in Mount Isa in the coming days.
"We have it available to us for the next few days," he said.
"Aircrafts are very sought after across Queensland at the moment and we feel that we need to extend, we will put in that request but that decision isn't up to us, but that is why we are utilising it as much as we can while it is here."
A fire ban remains in place for the whole north west.
Disclaimer: The fire is burning on journalist Samantha Campbell's family property.