Authorities in Western Australia say 71 homes are now known to have been destroyed in the bushfire emergency east of Perth.
Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the blaze since Monday.
Photo: DFES Western Australia / Incident Photographer Evan Collis
Hundreds of people have spent the night in evacuation centres and an emergency warning remains in place for the out-of-control blaze, which started in Wooroloo on Monday and is continuing to threaten lives and homes.
WA s Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said no properties were impacted overnight, but assessment teams had confirmed the number of properties lost had increased to 71, and they were still working through the fire zone.
More than 70 houses in the hills region in Perth s east have been destroyed by fires that ignited on Monday including the home of volunteer firefighter Scott Kelly and his family.
Anxious wait for Perth suburbs in fireâs path as wind fans massive front
6.34pm
Normal text size
Advertisement
Perth residents in the north-eastern fringe suburbs of Bullsbrook and Upper Swan have braced themselves for a horror night, with a looming bushfire stretching 110 kilometres wide and raining embers threatening housing estates on Wednesday afternoon.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Servicesâ worst fears have been realised with a change in wind direction gusting the fire front uphill, with three breakout fires near homes in Avon Ridge and Joshua Mews, Shady Hills Estate and east of Shady Hills along Clenton Road, Property Road and Berry Road.