By Holly Thompson
A community at the centre of a bushfire emergency has banded together to help firefighters and evacuees, while an out-of-control fire continue to blaze through the Wheatbelt region, more than 200 kilometres from Perth.
Residents from Wedge, Grey, Cooljarloo, Cervantes and Namburg have been forced to flee north to Jurien Bay, where an evacuation centre has been set up.
Anyone remaining in those towns has been told it is too late to leave, with fire blocking evacuation routes.
The fire has burned through 43,000 hectares since Monday morning, possibly sparked by a fatal car crash.
Shire of Dandaragan president Tony O’Gorman said around 30 people had stayed at the evacuation centre overnight, located at the town’s sports and recreation facility, with around a dozen caravans parked on the centre’s oval.
Other evacuees, and firefighters travelling to help battle the blaze, have been housed in the town’s accommodation, which is now full, or have been offered spare rooms in residents’ homes.
“It has been fantastic to see the community rallying together to help others. Those as far up as Green Head have offered accommodation, or to help with people’s pets including birds, horses, cats and dogs,” he said.
“Businesses in town are also offering food, everyone is pulling together.”
O’Gorman said the wind changes had been “phenomenal” and urged anyone who could to evacuate and head to Jurien Bay.
“At least then we can account for you, and make sure you are safe,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and for a new runway that had opened in the Shire just two months ago, making it easier for planes bringing manpower and water to land.
Despite the scale of the fire no homes, sheds or lives have been lost.
The fire has burned through large areas of national parks, including Wanagarren Nature Reserve and Nambung, where the Pinnacles – a WA tourism icon – are located.
Bill Thomas was travelling through WA in a caravan, on holiday from Parkes in NSW, and was heading for Cervantes when the emergency hit.
“We’re watching the incessant line of choppers and planes coming and going from early morning until sundown every day,” he told 9 News Perth.
“The weather has been windy, but not very hot. My wife Beth went over to the evacuation centre this morning to offer our help, to volunteer for anything they might need.
Thomas said it was unlikely they would be able to see Cervantes even after the emergency was over. Credit: 9 News Perth
“I wish all those firefighters and volunteers out there the best of luck.”
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters told Radio 6PR crews would be put under pressure on Thursday, with strong north-easterly winds predicted.
The fire is moving in a westerly direction towards Cervantes, Wedge and Grey, and Cervantes Primary School has closed, with firefighters working with machinery to build containment lines around the town.
“We have two large air tankers coming across from New South Wales that’ll be placed on the fire probably early this afternoon just to provide some additional support,” Waters said.
Waters said the fire had also travelled through the Lancelin Defence Training Area, posing a different threat for firefighters.
“There are lots of unexploded ordnance areas within the fire area so we’ve actually had to wait for the fire to burn through those areas before we can put machinery in,” he said.
Two volunteer firefighters were injured in the battle on Wednesday – one sent home with a superficial burn and the other, a man in his 60s, flown to Fiona Stanley Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
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