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Teams in Western Australia are fighting three dangerous fires, two in the Perth metropolitan area and one in Geraldton.
Large Air Tanker supporting firefighters in the bushfires in the town of Kwinana, Perth, Western Australia.
Photo: Facebook / WA Fire and Emergency Services Department
Flames are burning south and southeast of the Perth metropolitan area, one of which forces the evacuation of a retirement village and the other moves through a landfill and generates dangerous gases.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued an emergency warning for a fire in the southern suburbs of Perth, including parts of The Spectacles, Orelia, Medina, Naval Base, Postans, Kwinana Beach and Hope Valley.
DFES said the fire front was burning rapidly in a west-northwest direction.
People in the area bounded by Beard Road to the north, Rockingham Road to the west, Thomas Road to the south, and the coast have been told that leaving now would be deadly, due to the dangerous fumes from the fire burning some of the garbage from the Kwinana town tip.
DFES district officer Adrian Hamill told ABC that authorities hoped to contain the fire before it reached the Perth Motorplex.
“It mainly moves through brushwood, but it is heading towards heavy infrastructure,” he said.
An emergency warning for Gosnells, in southeast Perth, was downgraded to watch and act just before 10pm (AWST) as the fire was stopped.
People in an area bounded by Albany Highway, Tonkin Highway, and Ferres Drive were informed that a potential threat to lives and homes with changing conditions still existed.
The fire started in Martin, near the intersection of Connell Avenue and Milleara Road. Part of the Tonkin Highway between Albany Highway and Mills Road East was closed.
Geraldton Fire Emergency Warning
An emergency warning was also issued late Sunday night for the northern part of Karloo in Geraldton, 400 kilometers north of Perth.
The DFES reported that the houses on Peter Way and Simon Drive were under threat.
The Geraldton fire started near the intersection of Abraham Street and Peter Way and was progressing rapidly in a westerly direction. Abraham Street has been closed, and motorists were asked to avoid the area due to the smoke.
At 10 p.m. (AWST), all the fires were described as out of control and unpredictable.
People in emergency alert zones have been urged to act immediately to survive.
Riverside Gardens Estate retirement village is evacuated
DFES District Officer Will Blackshaw confirmed that residents of the retirement village of Riverside Gardens had been evacuated.
“We have successfully evacuated 60 people there, and at the moment they are taking them to safety while we do what we can to protect the houses there,” he said.
He also said crews would work through the night to contain the fires.
Blackshaw urged people to stay up-to-date with the latest information overnight with EmergencyWA.
There is a watch and act for parts of Parmelia, The Spectacles, Calista, Orelia, Leda, Medina, Kwinana Town Center, Postans, Kwinana Beach, and East Rockingham.
Conditions are changing and there is a potential threat to lives and homes.
The DFES said the fire was moving rapidly in a north-northwest direction and was out of control and unpredictable.
Air support has been dispatched to assist ground crews.
DFES said about 70 hectares had been burned so far.
Fires in Wundowie and Red Gully degraded
Meanwhile, a fire that threatened the small rural town of Wundowie on Saturday has been contained and remains under control at the advisory level.
It left thousands of homes in the area without power as a result of damaged infrastructure.
The DFES said the fire destroyed 65 hectares of land and listed the cause as accidental.
Another fire that started Saturday morning in Red Gully has also been downgraded to council.
DFES said that while there was still a lot of smoke in the area, the wildfire was now stopped, contained and under control.
“Although there is no immediate danger, you must be vigilant and stay updated in case the situation changes,” read a warning.
It has burned 1,530 hectares since it started near the intersection of Mogumber Road West and Brand Highway.
-ABC
