AN aged care facility that came perilously close to copping the full brunt of a North Stradbroke Island bushfire is thanking the community and emergency services for preventing "a major disaster".
Nareeba Moopi Moopi Pa Aged Care Hostel was just metres away from a blaze that ripped through bushland near Mitchell and Rainbow crescents about 10pm on August 22.
Centre general manager Cheryl Russell said an employee was the first to sound the alarm when they witnessed flames approaching the independent living units.
She said the centre had not been warned beforehand that there was a bushfire in the area.
"There were embers flying through the air," Ms Russell said. "The fires were not on top of the aged care facility but they were coming our way.
"Our employee sounded the alarm and started the evacuation immediately."
Ms Russell said the fire came within about 10 metres of the centre's independent living units, which border dense bushland.
"Those units have people living in them that are old and frail," she said.
"With a little bit of luck a couple of them were with family that night.
"Just when the firies thought they couldn't get in and save the units the wind changed which allowed them to access that space to fight back the fire.
"Apparently the flames were licking under the eves of the units at one point."
Ms Russell said the stars aligned to prevent the 10 residents at the aged care facility, two of which are over 100, from suffering injuries.
"...It all happened right on change over when we had more staff than we normally would," she said.
"According to the firies it was over and done with in three-quarters of an hour and by that stage we had everybody in the (Dunwich) community hall.
"We were met there with stretches, blankets and mattresses.
"The ambos were there and it was just really good the way it came together."
The independent units and aged care facility did not sustain any significant damage.
"The units were fine on the inside...but the exterior needed to be washed down because there was a lot of soot," Ms Russell said.
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