Residents in remote Western Australia are being urged to “leave now” as a fast-moving, uncontrolled bushfire rips through the state.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a bushfire emergency warning at 2pm on Sunday for Eneabba and Warradarge, more than two hours north of Perth.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” the alert said.
“If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place … If it is safe to do so, leave in a northerly or southerly direction.
“Do not wait and see, leaving at the last minute could put your life in danger.”
The Department warned the fire activity was “increasing”.
“The bushfire is moving fast in a south westerly direction,” the alert said.
“A sea breeze within the hour will shift the bushfire in an easterly direction.
“It is not contained or controlled.”
The warning area is bounded by the Eneabba-Coolimba Rd, Brand Hwy, Coorow-Green Head Rd and Cockleshell Gully Rd in parts of Eneabba and Warradarge in the Shires of Carnamah and Coorow.
An additional Watch and Act – Prepare to Leave area was also in-place east of Brand Hwy, south of Eneabba townsite.
Firefighters are currently on the ground battling the blaze, with aerial support having been dispatched.
It comes as Perth, as well as swathes of the Midwest, Gascoyne, Goldfields, and Midlands regions were being warned to brace for storms, including damaging winds, heavy rain, and large hailstones.
Locations which may be affected include Moora, Northam, Perth, Dalwallinu, Dowerin and Gingin.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to develop firstly in the northern part of the warning area, before extending further south towards the Lower West region,” the Department warned.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours.”
About 85 homes and business were also affected by power outages due to bushfire in Julimar and Moondyne.
Residents near Lower Chittering in Western Australia were also being urged to “act immediately to survive” as an out of control bushfire began burning overnight.
The warning area covers more than 4000 hectares of rural land, about 70km north of Perth, and is bounded by Julimar Rd, Plunkett Rd, Beach Rd and Chittering Rd.
The area covers parts of Julimar, Moondyne, Chittering and Lower Chittering.
The alert has since been downgraded to a watch and act as weather conditions had eased.
The Department warned residents nonetheless not to return to their properties if they had fled as it was not yet safe “due to fallen trees, fallen powerlines and other dangers created by the fire”.
“If you have remained in the area, stay alert and monitor your surroundings as conditions could change,” an alert stated.
Emergency services were first notified of the fire on Saturday night, with residents in the area urged to flee at 4.20am.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services said.
Those present in the warning area, or a larger watch and act zone, have been told to leave, if safe to do so, in a southerly or westerly direction.
The incident comes as much of the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions are subject to a total fire ban, imposed due to an extreme fire risk over the coming two days.
A severe heatwave warning has been issued for large areas of southern Western Australia, with maximum temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s set to continue until Tuesday.
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