'Scary stuff': WA bushfires threaten homes in searing heat
A number of bushfires have placed homes under threat in Western Australia amid searing temperatures.
The state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a bushfire warning for residents of Woolooroo, Chidlow and Gidgegannup including people in Warrigal Estate on Monday just before 10am, local time.
Residents are being told to leave if it is safe or to find shelter in their homes.
Warrigal Estate locals have been warned their homes could be under threat from embers. They are also being told to leave if it is safe to do so.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services incident controller Adrian Hamill told PerthNow that “embers are just going all over the place”.
“We have had a couple of hop-overs but we have plenty of resources there for us to say it is under control but we don’t want residents back in,” he said.
He added a few sheds had been lost but all houses in Warrigal Estate at this stage have been saved.
Woolooroo resident Jan Rose told Nine News the fires were "really scary stuff".
"I think it would be a silly person to say they didn't feel overwhelmed and worried at this particular time," she told Nine News.
The fire started in Beechina, east of Perth, and is now under investigation.
An evacuation centre is open at Mundaring Arena on Mundaring Weir Road in Mundaring.
There are 100 firefighters monitoring and mopping up the blaze, which was reported at 3:41pm on Boxing Day and has burned about 164.5 hectares.
An emergency warning was also in place for a fierce bushfire threatening homes in the Augusta-Margaret River Shire, about 300 kilometres south of Perth.
Winds are strengthening in the area, and while the fire is contained it is not yet controlled.
People were urged to leave Treeton and Osmington if the way was clear, or to shelter in their homes if they could not leave.
The warning was increased from the watch-and-act level on Sunday afternoon due to weather conditions and the fire growing on heavy fuel loads.
There is an evacuation centre at the Margaret River Recreation Centre.
The warnings came as the state endures a spell of hot weather, with Perth recording maximum temperatures of 42C and 43C on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
with AAP
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