A FIRE deliberately lit in close proximity to the Conway National Park has contributed to falling ash and smoke in and around Proserpine on Monday.

According to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service the fire was started near Cedar Creek Falls and fell outside the Conway National Park in which different fires were lit in a planned hazard reduction burn.

"QPWS provided support to fight the Cedar Creek fire, while also working on the QPWS planned burn. The fire on Conway National Park did not get out of control,” a QPWS spokesperson said.

QPWS said the Conway National Park fire was a planned burn that aims to inject fire into eucalypt pockets and prevent rainforest intrusion but didn't offer an explanation as to why the fires were lit on a day in which the mercury tipped 34 degrees.

Reports on social media emerged of smoke nearly forcing people from their homes in the Conway area.

Roland Jackson said on Facebook "anyone lighting fires in this weather is a complete fool... I can see that fire from my bedroom window and smoke's been billowing from that same location since late last Friday afternoon, that's nine days now”.

On Monday another Facebook user, Sharon Williams said "this is the second day we have just about had to leave our house though because the smoke is so thick. Starting to get breathing problems for it - I'm done with it!”

When told of people nearly being forced from their homes QPWS advised nearby residents that they should "shut windows and doors, and people with respiratory illnesses should keep medications close by.”

QPWS said planned burns are continuing this week and it was necessary to conduct burns in summer to "achieve burn objectives including hazard reduction”.