Perth bushfires: Emergency warnings for out-of-control fires: ‘Act immediately to survive’
Out-of-control bushfires continue to endanger lives and homes as blazes rage in bushland south-east 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 applies to people traveling via Scarp Road and Day Road in the north, Kingsbury Drive in the east, Scarp Road in the west and Karnet Prison Farm in the south, excluding the town of Jarrahdale.
Homes within the emergency warning area are threatened.
If the road is clear, residents are advised to leave now for a safer place. If they cannot leave, they must prepare to shelter in their homes.
Out-of-control bushfires (pictured) continue to endanger lives and homes as fire rages in bushland south-east of Perth
A warning is also in effect for residents bordering 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 town of Jarrahdale and Mount Cooke.
The Serpentine fire started on Saturday during thunderstorms near the Serpentine Dam, about 55km south-southeast of Perth, and is estimated to cover 2,000 to 3,000 hectares of land from Sunday.
Emergency WA said unpredictable conditions at fire sites across the state mean there is a risk to lives and homes.
“It’s extremely difficult terrain and there’s a lot of fire on the ground, so we’re concerned about the next two or three days,” Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA commissioner Darren Klemm told reporters.
There were reports of property damage and rapid assessment crews had been deployed to confirm this, he said.
‘At this time we have had no reports of homes being completely lost or even damaged. “Most of the reports we’ve had are about outbuildings like sheds and things like that,” he said.
Hundreds of firefighters are spread across WA with crews hoping cooler conditions will bring relief in the coming days.
“We now have a good four to five days of more stable, milder weather conditions, which will give us a great opportunity to get around these fires and make them safe,” Mr Klemm said.
The Parks and Wildlife Service closed the Serpentine National Park due to fire and people already in the area were told to leave for a safer location.
The WA Government has called in a C-130 Hercules Water Bomber from NSW to control multiple fire fronts.
An emergency bushfire warning for parts of North Dandalup, Myara and Whittaker in the Shire of Murray, where 80 hectares have burned, has been downgraded to watch and act.
More than 50 firefighters from the Bush Fire Service, Parks and Wildlife Service and Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service worked to bring the blaze, also caused 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 forest fire is depicted
A community meeting was held at the Serpentine evacuation center on Sunday afternoon to inform residents of when they would be able to return to their homes.
An evacuation at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Center has now been closed.
Temperatures in Perth peaked at 35 degrees on Saturday and reached a high of 26 degrees on Sunday.
High fire danger ratings remain in place for 21 districts in WA on Monday.