Blaze a shock for pair
When they moved from Margaret River to the southern suburb of Atwell, Gordon and Lorraine Bancroft did not expect to face the fury of a bushfire.
But in February last year the couple fled their home when flames came perilously close to their doorstep.
"We never thought we would have a bushfire that close," Mr Bancroft said.
"We had a look outside and the fire was about 150 metres away from our street. Within 10 minutes it was within 30 to 40 metres of our street corner, so we just got in the car and got out."
The Banjup bushfires razed 500ha across Perth's southern suburbs over a scorching 10 days that February.
No homes were lost, but live-stock and infrastructure were destroyed. "You see it on television but you don't realise what a fire can do until it is on your doorstep - when you see it in real life is when you start to panic," Mr Bancroft said.
The couple returned the following day to a few embers in their backyard but no damage to their house.
For the 2014-15 Are You Ready? bushfire campaign, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services is warning that anyone who lives near bush is at risk of bushfire.
Information at areyouready.wa.gov.au
