Ten homes have been lost at Peregian Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast where police have declared an emergency situation due to the rapidly escalating bushfire threat.

Police last night urged residents at Peregian Springs and Peregian Beach to leave immediately and for anyone outside the zone to avoid travel to the area.

Hundreds of people left their homes and headed for evacuation centres. The fire also cut power to more than 1,000 homes.

Key points: Homes have been destroyed at Peregian Beach by a rapidly escalating fire that is spreading embers for 2 kilometres

Homes have been destroyed at Peregian Beach by a rapidly escalating fire that is spreading embers for 2 kilometres Evacuation centres have opened at Cooroy Library and the Nambour Showgrounds for Sunshine Coast residents who have been urged to leave their homes

Evacuation centres have opened at Cooroy Library and the Nambour Showgrounds for Sunshine Coast residents who have been urged to leave their homes On the Gold Coast hinterland, O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is a refuge point for those escaping a dangerous fire heading towards Lamington National Park Road

Sunshine Coast Council disaster management coordinator Cathy Buck confirmed the number of homes lost, with more properties still under threat as authorities struggled to deal with the pace of the emergency.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) north coast Chief Superintendent Michelle Young said the fire flared in Peregian Springs about 5pm and was extremely fast moving.

She said houses from Peregian Beach to Marcus Beach were under heavy ember attack.

QFES also warned that residents at Castaways Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach and Noosa Springs should prepare to leave.

Several homes have been damaged in the Peregian Springs bushfire. ( Instagram )

"There is two kilometres spotting of this fire and we have a significant amount of houses that have been breached by fire," Chief Superintendent Young said.

"We've got 50 kilometre per hour gust winds pushing that in a north-easterly direction at the moment, which is causing this fire to spot and because it's so dry we're getting embers travelling that huge distance."

She said more than 60 appliances were on the ground with 200 firefighters battling the blaze.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the strong winds were set to continue until at least 3am.

Chief Superintendent Young said the bushfire was also heading towards Coolum State High School.

"We're pleading with anyone that's south of Coolum State High School to consider evacuation; if the wind changes it will come down towards Coolum," she said.

Fanned by heavy winds, the fire spread rapidly north from Peregian Beach. ( Supplied )

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QFES Assistant Commissioner Neil Gallant said the fire was rapidly moving north.

"As that fire pushes further north, any homes that are in that path, emergency alerts have gone out to those areas."

The declared emergency zone is bounded by Old Emu Mountain Road, David Low Way, the Sunshine Coast Motorway and Podargus Parade.

An evacuation centre has been established at the Coolum Surf Life Saving Club.

Last night, the evacuation centre at the J Noosa in Noosa Heads was at capacity, as was the centre open at the Noosa Leisure Centre.

But evacuation centres have also been opened at the Cooroy Library and the Nambour Showgrounds.

Peregian Springs resident Daniel Mcardle said he first saw smoke early on Monday afternoon before the bushfire escalated.

A bushfire burning close to homes at Peregian Springs was fanned by strong winds. ( Supplied: Daniel Mcardle )

"A little bit of smoke and whatnot [was] coming from behind us, it didn't look like it was somebody having a backyard fire pit or something like that," Mr Mcardle said.

"Then I heard the sound of choppers ... and saw the helicopters with the buckets come past.

"Then from there it escalated very quickly — I heard the sirens and a lot of police and fire trucks.

"I can still see it now, I'm standing out the front and I can still see the fires and embers across the rooftops."

The J evacuation centre at Noosa quickly reached capacity. ( ABC News: Owen Jacques )

About 100 people take refuge at O'Reilly's resort

On Monday afternoon, QFES issued an emergency warning for a "dangerous" bushfire heading towards the O'Reilly area in the Lamington National Park, with advice to leave immediately.

Queensland remains in the midst of the worst bushfire threat in recorded history and an omen of things to come, the state's fire service has warned.

Eighty-seven fires are now raging across the state in what has been the worst known start to the bushfire season.

Late on Monday, QFES issued an emergency warning to leave O'Reilly immediately as a "dangerous fire" was travelling in a westerly direction towards Lamington National Park Road.

The blaze is expected to impact parts of Lamington National Park. ( Facebook: O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat )

The blaze was expected to impact Lamington National Park Road at O'Reilly.

QFES described O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat as a place of refuge for people in the area.

Late on Monday afternoon, QFES Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing said about 97 people had withdrawn back into the O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, with the fire crossing the Lamington National Park Road.

"Given that it is a one-way road in and out, people have withdrawn back to O'Reilly's to make sure that they're in a good place and safe," he said.

Police said authorities remained in contact with the retreat and were confident people there faced no immediate danger.

However, at 8pm on Monday QFES warned strong winds would impact numerous areas within the Sarabah area overnight, including Lower Beechmont, Canungra, O'Reilly and Binna Burra.

Blazes flare at Lower Beechmont, Lowmead

A QFES watch and act warning at 11.10pm urged residents of Lower Beechmont in the Gold Coast hinterland to prepare to leave, with a fire travelling east toward the area.

Earlier, QFES urged residents of Lowmead, north-west of Bundaberg, to leave now with a large and fast-moving fire continuing to move in a northerly direction.

QFES said the fire had impacted parts of Seeds Road and it had been expected to impact Tableland Road by about 9pm.

Firefighters have been working around the clock to contain the blazes. ( Facebook: Massie & District Rural Fire Brigade )

Six state schools will be closed on Tuesday because of the bushfire threat.

They are Beechmont, Pozieres, Linville, Ballandean, Glen Aplin and Severnlea state schools.

Education Minister Grace Grace said seven Stanthorpe state schools and one Catholic school that were closed on Monday would reopen on Tuesday.

Fire danger has never been as severe

QFES predictive services inspector Andrew Sturgess said the fire danger had never been as severe so early in spring.

Acting Premier Jackie Trad said almost 50 structures had been damaged by fire across the state, with 12 of those completely destroyed.

"These are obviously challenging conditions but we have resources deployed right throughout the state on the ground and in the air," she said.

A Canungra fire evacuee is comforted outside Moriarty Park Hall where they attended an emergency community meeting. ( AAP: Glenn Hunt )

"We have closed 11 schools [on Monday] out of an abundance of caution — these schools have not been damaged — it is about ensuring access routes remain clear and kids are out of the heavily polluted atmosphere.

"Around 97 properties have been assessed for damages, about 47 have been recorded as being damaged or destroyed as a result of the fires."

She said recovery centres were being set up to help people get any assistance they need, including hardship grants and damage assessment.

"There will be communication from the insurance council and individual insurers, so people can start making contact with insurance agencies."

Satellite analysis of the Gold Coast hinterland bushfire zone suggests portions of rainforest have gone up in flames — an unprecedented occurrence.

Bureau of Meteorology weather services manager Richard Wardle warned conditions across the state would not ease until mid-week.

"The dry air has penetrated deep into the tropical north, and is expected to cause very high fire dangers along the north-east coast," he said.

"It's not until Wednesday, when we see the true easing of the winds, when we could see those fire danger ratings ease back to high instead of very high."

With some residents now allowed to return, families have begun to survey the damage in Applethorpe. ( ABC News: Mark Leonardi )

'We have no idea what we are left with'

In nearby Binna Burra, a continuing blaze destroyed the heritage-listed Binna Burra Lodge, dealing a major blow to the region's economy.

"The only thing we know for sure that has survived is the business car," Steven Noakes, chairman of Binna Burra Lodge, said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 20 seconds 1 m 20 s The fires caused extensive damage to the Binna Burra Lodge.

"That represents nine decades of Binna Burra as of a physical item as of today, that one car."

Binna Burra is a mid-sized tourism business with 70 staff and a turnover of $5-6 million, making it the biggest single employer in the community in Beechmont.

On Monday afternoon, local resident Sharon (surname withheld) was waiting to be allowed back home, at a road block at Lower Beechmont.

Binna Burra Road remains closed. ( Supplied: Qld Department of Transport and Main Roads )

"We don't know really what is going on — that's why I am here," Sharon said.

"I want to find out whether we have something to go back to. You hear things through other people and websites. We have seen footage but we have no idea what we are left with."

Residents are being stopped by emergency services at a road block. ( ABC Gold Coast: Kate O'Toole )

Sharon's sister was escorted by police and firefighters into the area on Sunday and said at the time both her and Sharon's house were still standing.

"She said it could still be under threat with the wind direction changing but at that point it was still standing," Sharon said.

"Two houses down was gone, two houses up was gone. It's the luck of the draw really isn't it — where the fire is going to land."

Another resident Irene (surname withheld) said she was staying with a friend at Lower Beechmont, while her husband stayed at home to look after the house.

"He's got all the hoses out around the house ready to go if anything happens, but nothing had happened so far," she said.

"I've tried for several days to go back home but the police have been at Sommerville Road and said I can't go past."