A Gold Coast theme park and a resort have been evacuated after an emergency situation is declared due to a large vegetation fire burning on the Southport Spit.

Emergency services were called to the blaze, burning near Seaworld Drive, earlier this morning.

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It has forced Queensland Police Service to declare an emergency situation in the area.

Both Sea World, its adjacent resort and a nearby recreational area have been evacuated as a precaution.

The declaration encompasses the northern end of McArthur Parade, Main Beach to the end of the Spit.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services ground crews are working to contain the fire with water-bombing operations expected to begin shortly.

People have been asked to avoid the area as emergency service crews respond to the blaze.

Local resident Peter Blakeley said the fire was generating huge clouds of smoke.

“Where it is is a nature strip right along the beach front, so it’s like in the sand dunes – it’s all a nature reserve,” he said.

“But it’s heading south from that – if the wind changed it’s about a kilometre north of Sea World.

“But if the wind changed Sea World might be a bit dangerous but I think the wind is going to hold pretty solid on what it is now.”

Labrador resident Zoe Armstrong was looking at open homes with her husband when she noticed plumes of black and white smoke rising from the Broadwater.

“Our car temp gauge was 40 degrees when we got in so I’m not surprised about a fire with all the bush land out at the Spit,” she said.

“We could see flames higher than the trees from the Labrador foreshore.

“There are a lot of people swimming and on sitting the sand on the western side of the Spit.”