Social media plea for bushfire spotters
Margaret River Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Captain Jeff Bushby has issued an online plea to residents to make sure emergencies are properly reported.
Following Monday's blaze near the Margaret River Airstrip, Mr Bushby said it was important residents called 000 before uploading comments to social media.
"With social media being a part of everyday life, it is becoming more common for people to make posts reporting fires or hazards whilst delaying or failing to report them to authorities," he said.
"There have been local instances where emergency responders have read about incidents on social media before a 000 emergency call is received," Mr Bushby said.
"This is a very scary thought as time is of the essence in an emergency."
Monday's bushfire didn't rate a mention with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, which did not put out any notice within the first hour of the emergency response.
