The emergency zone for a bushfire raging north-east of Perth has expanded as firefighters continue their efforts to control the blaze.
Scorching conditions above 40C and wind gusts upwards of 25km/h have triggered “increased fire behaviour”, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said, as the emergency area expanded just before 2pm Saturday afternoon.
The emergency warning is in place for people bounded by Blue Plains Road and Julimar Road to the north, Davis Road to the east, the Chittering Valley Road intersection and Sunburst Rise intersection to the south and Great Northern Highway to the west in parts of Chittering and Lower Chittering.
Residents in these areas are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes.
The fast-moving blaze started at Julimar and Chittering roads about 9.30am and was burning on both sides of Chittering Road, DFES said.
About 120 career and volunteer firefighters are on the scene battling the blaze as aerial support — including about half a dozen helicopters and four fixed-wing water bomber planes — assists crews on the ground.
The fire is not contained or controlled at this stage and 120ha have been burned as the temperature approaches 41C in Chittering and a strong easterly wind continues to fan flames further west.
“If you have left the warning area, do not try to return. Avoid the area and be aware of fire and emergency services personnel working on-site,” DFES said.
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Bindoon Town Hall on the Great Northern Highway in Bindoon.
A second fire about 30 minutes north-east in Bindoon and Mooliabeenee is also at emergency level.
Residents west of Crest Hill Road, bounded by Ashworth Road, Cullalla Road and Mooliabeenee Road to the north, Teatree Road to the west and Gray Road to the south in parts of Moondah, Bindoon and Mooliabeenee in the Shires of Chittering and Gingin are urged to leave for a safer place.
The out-of-control fire was reported just after 9am and is moving fast in a westerly direction, however, it reached an emergency level at about 3.30pm.
Shortly after 6pm, the emergency area expanded, and more than 200 firefighters were on the ground battling the blaze on Saturday night.
Chittering deputy shire president Mary Angus — who lives in Bindoon — said residents are remaining calm but keeping in contact with each other in case a flame sparks on any acreage nearby.
“I heard a bang, there’s a big flume of dark smoke heading down towards Gray road,” Ms Angus said.
“It was initially going away from the townsite but I think the fire has started a second front.
“It’s really dark smoke. There are a lot of trees so it’s hard to know what’s gone up.”
Ms Angus said she had her bushfire bag ready to go at the front door.
“It’s a rural residential area but there are several areas of new housing estates, so there’s a lot of assets for people to protect,” she said.
“But also a very high percentage of the community are onboard with their fire breaks and fire protection plans before the season hits.“Everyone has their fire breaks in and reduce their fuel loads on their properties etc, it’s a big thing for the council out here, and we have rangers that go out and check for fire breaks before the season begins. “At the moment things are calm, we’ll see what happens in the next few hours and the community is pretty close out here in keeping in touch with each other.”
A watch and act alert is also in place for people west and south of Great Northern Highway in an area bounded by Blue Gum Way to the north, Reserve Road and Wandena Road to the west, Muchea East Road and Chittering Road to the south, west of the Chittering Valley Road intersection and south of Guernsey Rise in parts of Chittering, Lower Chittering and Muchea.
Chittering Road is closed between Julimar and Chittering Valley roads.
For people in the emergency warning area, it is safe to leave in a northerly direction along Chittering Road.
People in the watch and act area can leave to the south or the west.
About 26 career and volunteer firefighters have been sent to the blaze, while aerial support was deployed at about 2.30pm.
Another blaze is threatening to become emergency level about a half-hour’s drive west in Bambun, after a fire started about midday at the RAAF Gingin air base near the intersection of Airfield and Duffy roads.
People in an area bound by Bambun Road to the north, Clover Road to the south, Rosella Road to the west and east of Brand Highway, including the RAAF base Gingin, in parts of Bambun, Muchea, Yanchep and Yeal are on watch and act advice from DFES.
“There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching in the area and conditions are changing,” the warning said.
Those south of the watch and act area bound by Clover Road to the north, Nolan Road to the south, Rosella Road to the west and east of Brand Highway, have been advised to monitor their surroundings.
“There is a lot of smoke in the area. Although there is no immediate danger you need to be aware and keep up to date in case the situation changes,” DFES said.
A weekend of blazing hot weather threatens to worsen firefighting efforts, with the mercury tipped to reach 41C on Saturday alongside the possibility of a thunderstorm — which could spell trouble for fireys should lightning spark any more fires.
Up to 34 bushfires burning across WA
About 34 bushfires were burning across WA from Friday night into Saturday.
Emergency Service Minister Stephen Dawson commended the herculean efforts of fire and emergency personnel fighting the series of major fires in scorching conditions.
Mr Dawson said the extremely high temperatures made the conditions extremely tough for firefighters and the weather and the wind were constantly changing and evolving making the fires unpredictable.
“There are hundreds of firefighters across the State that are working under atrocious conditions to protect local communities. I want to thank them for their efforts and the support of their families as they answer the call to help others,” he said.
“I urge Western Australians to take proper precautions when going outdoors and to follow the bushfire advice and alerts through Emergency WA’s website.
“As I have said we are facing a long, hot and very challenging summer when it comes to bushfire safety.
“I again urge everyone to create a bushfire plan, listen to the emergency advice, and look after each other.”
Mr Dawson said the Cook Government had invested an additional $140 million into providing the State’s fire and emergency services with the equipment, resources and aerial support to protect and safeguard communities.
On Friday morning, DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said WA had acquired the national air tanker for the upcoming heatwaves in parts of the state.“We’re well prepared for the next couple of days, and in fact the the next four of five days,” he said.
“We have a whole range of strike teams and task forces that are ready over the weekend.
“We’ve got the national large air tanker here from interstate as right now Western Australia is the state that’s experiencing the highest risk in terms of bushfires, so we’ve got that national large air tanker as well as all the rest of our aerial fleet.”Although WA has the air tankers at the ready, neither the C130 Hercules waterbomber — one of the largest firefighting aircraft in Australia — or the eastern states water bomber, have been deployed to Saturday’s blazes.
There have been more than 2,700 bushfires so far this season, Mr Klemm noted that a “significant” number of those had made it to the emergency level.
“For the same period last season, there’s 38 per cent more than then,” he said.
“There is a clear message there about the season starting early, it does really talk to the intensity of the fires we’ve been dealing with and the dryness of the landscape is the piece that creates that, along with those strong easterly, northeasterly winds.
“We’re well prepared for the next week as we go into a period of much warmer weather that perhaps we will experience for some time.”