WA Premier announces bushfire relief funds as more homes destroyed
Authorities have warned residents affected by bushfires in Perth are “not out of the woods yet”, with challenging conditions expected over the weekend.
More homes have been lost in the massive bushfire which has devastated Perth’s northern suburbs, as emergency alerts are lifted more than 48 hours since the blaze began.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook addressed the media on Friday afternoon, having come straight from Perth Airport after cutting his trade junket to China short to deal with the fire emergency.
“Sadly I can confirm 18 homes have now been lost. Homeowners who have been affected are still being notified … our thoughts go out to you,” Premier Cook said.
“Thirty one other buildings, including sheds, have been destroyed.”
A further five homes have also received “significant damage.”
Mr Cook said 42 people stayed at the Gumblossom Community Centre evacuation shelter in Quinns Rocks overnight Thursday, while a further 41 people have moved to the Bullsbrook quarantine centre – a $400m Commonwealth project designed to house Covid-19 quarantine patients, delivered too late to help during WA’s pandemic peak.
“For those people who lost their homes, nothing can replace a lifetime of memories … my government will provide emergency financial assistance in the form of Premier’s relief payments,” Mr Cook said.
There will be two categories of payments: $4000 for anyone whose home has been destroyed or significantly damaged, and $2000 for those whose homes have been damaged.
“The purpose of the payment is to provide immediate financial help … to assist eligible affected householders to deal with the expenses, such as securing shelter or temporary accommodation, purchasing food or securing emergency transport,” the Premier said.
“This is just one way we can provide early relief as we as a community navigate our way through what is going to be a long road to recovery.”
Mr Cook hoped to visit the area on Saturday.
“I want to be able to speak to the victims of this bushfire emergency. This stuff is harrowing … they must be really hurting today,” he said
Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Commissioner Darren Klemm said about 180 firefighters remain on the fireground in Wanneroo and Mariginiup, shoring up containment lines around the fire’s 64km perimeter.
“The fire is about 95 per cent contained, which shows great progress over the last 18 to 20 hours,” he said.
“It will take at least another three or four days to bring the fire under control.”
Mr Klemm also had a stern warning over people using drones near the emergency warning area.
“I also need to stress the importance of respecting the restricted airspace,” Mr Klemm said.
“Aircraft were grounded for an hour and a half today after drones were reported in the area of the fire, and this is unacceptable for our response effort.”
He also expressed concern over forecast thunderstorms moving over the region, which will deliver little-to-no rain, but do pose the risk of dry lightning.
Meanwhile, Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson is urging Perth residents outside the affected bushfire area to do their part to help over what will be a sweltering weekend.
“[Firefighters] are seeing pressure placed on other water supply zones in the metro area,” Mr Dawson said.
“And so to support the life saving work by firefighters, we’d ask you to please avoid unnecessary water use over the coming days.”
He also confirmed the fleet of 15 water bombing aircraft has been scaled back, and that the government has requested the NSW large air tanker be kept in WA until November 30.
EMERGENCY DOWNGRADED
About 3.45pm, all alerts surrounding the bushfire zone were downgraded.
This means the area bounded by Coogee, Bustard, Silver, Galah, Hawkins, Trichet, High, Amos, Belgrade, Franklin, and Pinjar Roads, Caporn Street, Da Vinci Park, and Mornington Drive in parts of Jandabup, Melaleuca, Wanneroo, and Mariginiup are under a Watch and Act alert.
It means while the fire still poses a threat to lives and homes, the danger isn’t immediate.
Surrounding areas that had been under a Watch and Act are now at an Advice level, meaning while the fire doesn’t pose a serious risk, residents in that area should monitor the situation.
And an even wider zone has been given the all-clear.
“The alert level for this fire has been downgraded as the immediate threat has reduced, however conditions could change rapidly,” reads the DFES alert.
“There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is still burning in the area and weather conditions remain unpredictable. Do not enter fire impacted areas or bypass road closures as several hazards remain and it is unsafe.”
“If you have left the area, do not return,” it warns.
“It is unsafe due to fallen trees, fallen powerlines, hot and unsafe ground and other dangers created by the fire. Entering the impacted area will also put additional pressure on emergency services personnel working to keep the community safe.”
The danger hasn’t passed, though, with temperatures over the weekend hitting the high 30Cs.
WARNING AT COMMUNITY MEETING
Earlier on Friday, displaced residents affected by the bushfire emergency ongoing in Perth’s northern suburbs have been told they’re “not out of the woods yet”, as firefighters brace for challenging conditions over the coming weekend.
DFES incident controller Clinton Kuchel fronted a community meeting at the Gumblossom Community Centre evacuation shelter on Friday morning in Quinns Rocks – about 15km north of the Wanneroo and Mariginiup fire zone.
“The good news is the fire side stabilised overnight … the humidity rose, the winds dropped; they are still variable, but the fire conditions didn’t change much at all,” Mr Kuchel told the crowd of more than 100 people and the thousands more watching via a Facebook stream.
“We want to make sure there’s no more people displaced by this fire.
“The warning areas have changed overnight … what’s more important is the words that sit behind that, so take the time to read them and update yourself. It is likely those warnings, and the language associated with those warnings, will change again later on today.”
He said about 14 Western Power crews were “geared up and ready to go” into the fire zone to begin restoring power and repairing electrical infrastructure, where it was safe to do so.
A Western Power representative told the meeting about 100 power poles were understood to have been damaged or destroyed by the blaze, which on Thursday had a perimeter of more than 50km.
One resident raised concerns about reports of supposed looting, with Mr Kuchel noting it’s a matter of concern.
“Police have advised us of two things so far: one, they have community patrols … and secondly, every report of looting is investigated, and there’s been no evidence of that,” he told the meeting.
“There’s been evidence of people jumping fences on cameras, but they’ve been found to be for legitimate reasons, like putting out spot fires. (Police are) aware of it, and we understand the impact that can have on a community.”
One man, who has spent two nights in the evacuation centre after being evacuated, stood up and gave an impassioned thanks to the shelter volunteers.
“I would just like to say the volunteers in here all night and the support and admiration given to my family has been overwhelming,” he said.
“I’ve never seen such compassion and support and admiration given by so many people that have volunteered their time and their effort … it really hasn’t gone unnoticed, you’ve made my family happy and supported … you’ve all gone out of your way.
“This woman here spent hours yesterday playing Uno with my daughters, it was absolutely outstanding … thank you, you’re amazing, continue to do what you do because this means the world to us.”
His comments were met with a resounding round of applause.
MAN’S SHOCK AS NEIGHBOUR’S HOUSE BURNS
Terrifying footage has emerged of houses on fire in residential streets during the height of the emergency.
In the footage, flames can be seen rising up through the roof of someone’s property as the man filming looks on in disbelief.
“Oh my god, my f***inghouse, the f***ing neighbour’s house is on fire,” he said.
Perth residents have been urged to “switch off” and unplug unnecessary appliances to save energy, as the blaze continues to affect the electricity supply.
The Department of Education on Friday closed schools in the area, including Wanneroo Secondary College and East Wanneroo Primary School.
Western Power has urged Perth residents to “switch off”, sending out a text message encouraging them to unplug unnecessary appliances with concerns the fire could impact the city’s electricity supply.
Weather conditions on Thursday night and Friday morning had helped firefighters in their battle with the blaze, DFES incident controller Scott Hares said.
“There’s been favourable conditions overnight,” he said.
“We’ve reduced some of the warning areas as a result.”
However, he warned the danger was still very real.
“It’s important that community members stay alert,” he said. “Keep checking Emergency WA to check for changes to warning areas because conditions can change at any time.”
Power has already been lost to about 544 homes and businesses in the affected area.
More than 100 power poles have already been damaged as well as other infrastructure like transformers according to Western Power which is asking people to stay away from damaged equipment and treat everything as live even if there is no power in the area.
PREMIER DITCHES CHINA VISIT AMID EMERGENCY
Premier Roger Cook confirmed on Thursday night that he would cut an international trip short to come home in the face of the ongoing disaster.
“I’ve decided to return from my trade visit in Shanghai early, so I can arrive back in Perth around midday Friday,” he said.
“Right now the most important thing I can do is be back in WA, providing support to Western Australians devastated by the fires in our northern suburbs and our incredible emergency personnel.
“I want to make sure I’m on hand to provide any assistance I can.”
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said ongoing weather conditions could mean the fire rages for days to come and urged residents to be prepared for anything.
“It could take some time before the fire is brought under control,” he said.
“Please follow directions from emergency services and please be patient as we work to make this area safe again.
“Please take the opportunities to keep your families safe, get a bushfire plan in place. It takes less than 15 minutes and it could make a difference.”
RESIDENTS RETURN TO RUIN
Some residents have returned to their homes in the wake of the bushfire to either find their home intact or a burnt out shell.
For the De-Bie family it was the latter, they told 7 News.
“One of the ladies who let us through said ‘I think one of the houses made it’ and she goes ‘it might be yours’ and we just had a little bit of hope,” Emma De-Bie said.
That hope was short lived when they found their home still alight.
“It cuts your heart, you can replace a few things but it’s the family memories,” Shannon De-Bie said.
The bushfire threat started on Wednesday morning in Aubin Grove before a second fire near Mariginiup got under way in the afternoon.
Strong easterly winds pushed the fire quickly before being contained, but a breakout in the southwest corner on Thursday morning started the current crisis.
Strong easterly and north-easterly winds have made it hard to control the blaze.
People in Perth’s northern suburbs are being urged to keep tabs on the Emergency WA website and to remain vigilant.
Meanwhile, an online fundraiser has been set-up for another family who’ve lost their home in the blaze.
Danny Ponting launched the GoFundMe campaign for his wife’s family after he, his wife Sarah Lau, and her mother fled the Lau’s Ranch Rd property on Wednesday night.
“We grabbed a handful of photos a bag of clothes our cat (meatball) and pet rat (Pablo) evacuated with two cars.to (sic) sit down the end of Mornington road and watch the family home where we lived, where my partners family lived their whole life, go up in flames in the most violent fires I’ve ever witnessed,” he said.
“Watching the 2 women most important in my life being heart broken and shattered has really broken me, we don’t have much but I especially want those two lady’s who are the kindest most genuine and generous people you can imagine and people who know this family will amplify that.
“I want them and my father in law to have something, I have nothing to provide for my own family and that really hurts as a young man that really really hurts.”
At the time of writing the campaign had raised $1611 of its $5000 target.
Read related topics:Perth
Join the conversation
Xmas party DJ arrested for turning up music
Two ‘out of control’ Christmas parties with hundreds of attendees were shut down by police, but one DJ allegedly ignored police and tried to keep the festivities going.
Read more
What’s open on Boxing Day
If you’re needing to stock up after Christmas or want to snap up a bargain in the Boxing Day sales, this is your full guide to today’s trading hours.
Read more
Major bank hit by outage on Christmas Eve
A major bank has restored services after an outage left customers unable to access their accounts on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Read more