Out of control bushfires continue to put lives and homes at risk as fires rage in the bush southeast of Perth.
Parts of Serpentine, Jarrahdale and Keysbrook have been upgraded to an emergency bushfire warning, with residents warned to “act immediately to survive”.
The emergency warning is in place for people bound by Scarp Road and Day Road to the north, Kingsbury Drive to the east, Scarp Road to the west and Karnet Prison Farm to the south, excluding the townsite of Jarrahdale.
Homes located in the alert zone are threatened.
If the coast is clear, residents are advised to leave now for a safer location. If they cannot leave, they should prepare to shelter at home.
Out of control bushfires (pictured) continue to put lives and homes at risk as fires rage in the bush southeast of Perth.
A Watch and Action Warning is also in place for residents bounded by Kingsbury Drive to the west, Jarrahdale Road to the north, Albany Highway to the east and the southern tip of the Serpentine Reservoir to the south, including the townsite of Jarrahdale and Mount Cooke.
The Serpentine Fire broke out on Saturday during thunderstorms near the Serpentine Dam, about 55 km south-southeast of Perth, and by Sunday was estimated to have covered 2,000 to 3,000 hectares of land.
Emergency WA said unpredictable conditions on firegrounds across the state mean there is a risk to lives and homes.
“It’s particularly difficult terrain and there are a lot of fires on the ground, so we have concerns for the next two or three days,” said Darren Klemm, commissioner of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Washington State, to journalists.
Property damage was reported and rapid assessment teams were deployed to confirm, he said.
“As of yet, we haven’t received any reports of houses being totally lost or even damaged. Most of the reports we’ve received are of outbuildings like sheds and that sort of thing,” he said .
Hundreds of firefighters are positioned across Washington state and their crews are hoping cooler conditions will bring relief in the coming days.
“We now have four to five days of more stable, milder weather conditions, which is going to give us a great opportunity to get around these fires and make them safe,” Klemm said.
The Parks and Wildlife Service has closed the Serpentine National Park due to a fire and people already in the area have been asked to leave to a safer location.
The WA government has called in a C-130 Hercules water bomber from New South Wales to help control several fire fronts.
An emergency bushfire warning in place for parts of North Dandalup, Myara and Whittaker in Murray Shire, where 80 hectares were burned, has been downgraded for monitoring and action.
More than 50 firefighters from the Bush Fire Service, Parks and Wildlife Service and Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service worked to bring the fire, also started by lightning, under control.
Evacuation centers have been set up at the Murray Aquatic Center and the Serpentine Jarrahdale Community Recreation Centre.
Parts of Serpentine, Jarrahdale and Keysbrook have been upgraded to an emergency bushfire warning, with residents warned to “act immediately to survive”. The bushfire is photographed
A community meeting at the Serpentine evacuation center was held on Sunday afternoon to inform residents of when they could return home.
An evacuation at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Center has since been closed.
Temperatures in Perth peaked at 35°C on Saturday and reached a maximum of 26°C on Sunday.
High fire danger ratings will remain in place across 21 WA districts on Monday.
