Weather hampered firefighting efforts

Firefighting efforts for Monday’s bushfire near Middlesex were hindered by hot weather before the blaze was eventually contained.

It is believed the fire spread from a burn-off on private property which climbed a nearby tree and jumped Black Georges Road, off Muir Highway.

By the time the bushfire was contained at 6pm on Monday, the fire had burned about 10ha of the Dingup State Forest.

A combination of heat and windy conditions worked against firefighters before they were able to bring the blaze under control.

Department of Parks and Wildlife regional fire duty officer Brad Barton said while the risk was relatively low, weather forecasts meant there was potential for danger to nearby lives and property.

“At its height, the fire had 4m to 5m flames and had the potential to burn at 1.5km h,” he said.

Mr Barton said there was a potential for spotting — where embers land ahead of the fire and start another one — for 1.7km ahead of the blaze.

At the peak of firefighting efforts, there were five heavy duty trucks, a bulldozer and additional staff working to get the flames under control.

Mr Barton said people should keep a look out for bushfires, remain alert and prepare their properties for the upcoming bushfire season.

“We live in an area where lightning causes fires and the drizzle means the fires don’t always start straight away,” he said.

“The fire smoulders until we get a bit of heat and the flames start up.”

Yesterday the department was trying to access an area around Lake Muir where lightning had started a fire.