Firefighters are battling multiple blazes across Western Australia, including one burning at an emergency level in Kojaneerup South and Green Range.
Residents have been told it’s too late to leave with the fire impacting evacuation routes.
There were also 198 crew working to bring a bushfire in Perth‘s east under control after it destroyed one home and five non-residential buildings in the Lakes on New Year’s Day.
The home, once filled with memories, is now a charred mess. Its owners are overseas on holiday and set to return to rubble.
The five non-residential structures include sheds and greenhouses, which were destroyed by the fire that broke out in the open paddocks.
The blaze burned through more than 750 hectares across the Lakes and Wooroloo, including within 800 metres of Acacia Prison.
“We obviously put fire trucks and crews there to make sure that it was safe, but that they activated their emergency plan and were very comfortable,” Darren Klemm from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said.
The blaze was downgraded to a watch and act overnight but while the fire has been contained, it’s not yet controlled and authorities warn the threat is not over.
“We’re pretty confident that we’re going to keep this fire in place but in saying that the conditions are lifting, it’s getting windier, it’s going to warm up so anything could happen,” Murray McBride from DFES said.
Crews were expected to be on the scene for at least the next two days, working to keep that fire within containment lines and stop any flare ups.
But they are battling hot conditions with the next few days, with temperatures forecast to be above 30 degrees.
The cause of the inferno still unknown with the arson squad investigating.
“We know that we’ve had several fires in the local area in recent times, so the arson squad along with the DFES fire investigation officers will be well aware of that,” Klemm said.
