71 homes razed in WA as residents flee surging 80km firefront

Fire authorities continue to battle an out of control bushfire in Wooraloo near Perth that has claimed 71 homes.

Firefighters at Wooroloo on Tuesday helping to battle an 80km-long, out-of-control firefront. Picture: Evan Collis

Fire authorities continue to battle an out of control bushfire in Wooraloo near Perth, that has claimed 71 homes.

WA fire chief Darren Klemm said on Wednesday morning that crews had had a relatively more hopeful night, with no properties impacted, though challenging conditions predicted today threaten to overwhelm them.

“We’re going to see the wind shift to the south-east so we’ll have a bit more southerly influence on it and that will bring that northern flank under pressure,” he said.

“There’s particular concern today for late this afternoon for the area of Shady Hills Estate, we’re going to see gusts to 70km/h in that north-west corner of the fire there. Really difficult terrain, really steep terrain and, you know, the message to the people in Shady Hills Estate and in the outskirt of Bullsbrook is they need to enact their bushfire plan and consider whether they need to evacuate now out of that area.”

He thanked residents who chose to leave their homes and go to evacuation centres, acknowledging the blaze has exacted a heavy toll on the community.

“To the people who have lost their homes it’s just devastating for them, no fire fighter sets out to have this loss of homes with this experience over the last couple of days they’ll be feeling it pretty keenly I know,” he said.

“A lot of people will be down in the dumps certainly upset about that loss of homes but that doesn’t match up at all for how those people are feeling who have lost their homes.”

A fire driven by strong winds burns on a ridge in the suburb of Brigadoon in Perth on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

The tally of homes lost ranks among the worst fire incidents in recent years. In 2011, 71 houses in the fire-prone suburbs of Roleystone and Kelmscott were destroyed, and a fire at Parkerville in 2014 destroyed 57 homes.

The intensity of the Wooroloo bushfire surprised 250 firefighters when it doubled in size overnight. It created an 80km fire perimeter and is believed to have destroyed 80 per cent of houses at Tilden Park.

“Often, firefighters were just going from one house to the next trying to save them rather than actually putting effort into putting the fire out,” Mr Klemm said.

The twin emergencies of a COVID-19 lockdown and a destructive firefront had some fleeing residents distressed and confused about whether to leave.

Many fled in the middle of the night on Monday from their rural and semi-rural properties across three shires, Brigadoon, Gidgegannup and Northam, and the peri-urban city of Swan.

 

“When the SMS (to leave) came through, we knew what that meant,” she told the ABC. “We’ve stopped worrying about COVID for a couple of hours.”

A bushfire emergency is unfolding east of Perth, with seven homes believed to be lost and more under threat. #9Today pic.twitter.com/IdW0eZAy5r

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) February 1, 2021

Hundreds more people were evacuated from the fire zone on Tuesday as spot fires jumped more than 3km ahead of the firefront. The flames crossed the Great Northern Highway about midday on Tuesday, on a westward wind-fanned path towards the coast.

The exodus led to logistical problems at Brooke Park evacuation centre in Swan View, 20km east of Perth, where 400 people were unable to maintain social distancing and a second evacuation centre had to be opened.

Fire consumes a structure at Wooroloo in the Perth hills, Picture: 7News

There was also confusion by residents over whether they needed to observe strict health restrictions on movement imposed on Sunday by Premier Mark McGowan to “crush” a potential COVID-19 outbreak with a snap five-day lockdown.

The confusion forced Mr McGowan and his Police Commissioner, Chris Dawson, to urge any threatened resident to leave their house and seek safety in a centre or with friends, regardless of the lockdown.

A smoke alert was issued for a wide area of metropolitan Perth, from Fremantle up to Joondalup and including Rottnest Island.

From midday, a snow of white ash and some live embers fell from the sky in suburbs 60km from the original outbreak.

Mr McGowan on Tuesday said he had briefed Scott Morrison on the fire situation and updated him on WA’s latest COVID threat. “This is an extremely concerning situation. The thoughts of all Western Australians are with the people impacted,” he said.

An aerial image of a massive fire at Wooroloo in the Perth Hills. Picture: 7News