They might be hopeful of finally containing a deadly blaze but Queensland firefighters have been warned another tough day lies ahead.

A ferocious bushfire on the Western Downs has claimed a life and destroyed 16 houses, burning more than 11,000 hectares since Monday.

However, crews are hopeful they can have the large fire at Tara, west of Brisbane, under control with a chance of rain on Friday.

More than 300 people were forced to evacuate their homes at Tara this week.

Queensland Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Peter Hollier was hopeful the fire would be fully contained by Friday.

He was unsure when people would be able to return to their homes, with 267 people in evacuation centres at Dalby and Chinchilla.

“It is more about their safety, when it is safe for them to return,” he told reporters.

“We are working as hard as we can to open up those areas.”

Firefighters are hoping to “wrap up” the Tara fire after crews fully contained a large Darling Downs blaze that burned 3000ha and destroyed a house following a cool change.

But Assistant Commissioner Hollier warned Queensland was “not out of the woods yet”.

An extreme fire danger was expected for the state’s west on Friday with strong winds and high temperatures, he said.

Fire is threatening Undullah, southwest of Brisbane, with residents told to seek shelter immediately.

Overall there are 60 blazes still burning in Queensland, with fire bans in 56 local government areas.

“The threat still remains in the western part of the state,” Assistant Commissioner Hollier said.

He said favourable conditions were forecast for Saturday but might only provide a brief respite.

“Right across the whole of the state is very dry,” he said.

“If the wind continues we will still have the fire behaviour that we are currently seeing and that will potentially go for the next three to four weeks.”

—AAP