Fast moving fires are putting homes under threat, with residents in parts of Queensland's south-west being told to leave.

There were 50 bushfires burning across the state on Sunday night.

The worst area is at Montrose, near Tara — 285km north-west from Brisbane — where it is believed to have started in a fuel drum.

One person was taken to Tara Hospital with smoke inhalation from Charles Drive about 3:20pm on Sunday, and paramedics are on stand-by, Queensland Ambulance Service said.

Police have declared a Public Safety Preservation Act for Chinchilla Tara Road, Terese Road, Weitzels Road and South Road, and are urging people to avoid the area.

A place of refuge has been opened at the Tara Council Chambers offices. It is not an evacuation centre. 

Residents flee their homes

Residents of Tara have fled their homes, local Kezza Cole and her family had little time to leave as she and her family sought safety from the fire.

"It travelled so fast, we didn't have much notice. We had to leave our animals behind," she said.

Outside the evacuation centre in Tara's Main Street, Mark smoked a cigarette.

He said he only had 20 minutes from the time a neighbour alerted him to the fire, until the flames were in his yard.

“We got our arses out, but only with what we were wearing," he said.

“I didn’t even get my wallet…We just had to get the f*** out of there.

“I’ve got my tobacco, two dogs and two cats. All in the car.”

Myall Park told to leave, Wolvi to stay informed

Residents of Myall Park near Miles, 100km north-west from Montrose, have also been told to leave, with warnings conditions could get worse quickly.

Queensland Fire Service (QFS) says it has deployed more than 120 fire trucks to the sites in the past 24 hours.

Residents of Wolvi, near Gympie, have been told to stay informed as a fast-moving fire travels south between Wolvi Mountain Road and Sunshine Road. Previously the warning for Wolvi was to prepare to leave, but has since been downgraded. 

Fires are also burning in Ballogie, at Springside near Pittsworth and Kobble Creek near Samsonvale. 

Queensland Fire Service has issued an advice warning for those areas. 

Fire danger remains high on Monday in the Central West and Darling Downs and Granite Belt. 

Started as a 'smudge of smoke' 

Environmental scientist from Miles, Robert Gardiner, who works at a wind farm at Dulacca, said he watched the blaze become a growing "smudge of smoke" in the distance.

He had been taking photographs of the pyro cumulus nimbus cloud building up over the large bushfire.

"I was concerned on where the fire could be in relation to other people", Mr Gardiner said.

"I drove out to where the fire was, the smoke was getting thick so I stopped and took my photographs.

"The light bush and grass erupting in fire quickly, in the distance all I could hear was trees falling down from the fire."

Brisbane's hottest day in two years

Brisbane had its hottest day in at least two years on Sunday, with temperatures up to 35.7 degrees, while it was a scorching 39C in Amberley and 40.8C in Gatton.

A severe heatwave warning remains in place for the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfields and Wide Bay and Burnett districts.

Mr Gardiner said he was concerned about how the community and the environment would recover.

"The bush is very dry, we haven't had heavy rains for quite some time," he said.