Firefighters in Western Australia have gained control of six fires that may be arson, while rain has helped to contain a week-long blaze that destroyed 86 homes in the hills of Perth.
Rainfall expected to ease bushfire in Australia’s west
06 Feb 2021 A roadblock is manned at the Haddrill and Campersic Road as a bushfire in the Avon Ridge and Brigadoon area burns in Perth. File/Reuters
Firefighters battling a devastating bushfire that has destroyed 86 homes on the outskirts of Perth in Western Australia hope heavy rain forecast over the weekend will help douse the flames, state authorities said on Saturday.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in Perth, complicating a five-day lockdown imposed on Monday on the state capital after Western Australia detected its first coronavirus infection in 10 months.
Fierce bushfire in Perth Hills is a ‘threat to lives’
OVERRIDE: People living in areas under a virus lockdown can disregard the orders to self-isolate and leave their homes if they believe they are in danger, authorities said
The Guardian
An out-of-control bushfire burning in the Perth Hills that has already destroyed up to 30 homes is “extremely volatile” and an active “threat to lives and homes,” Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has said.
A firefighting Boeing 737 aircraft from New South Wales (NSW) was flown west to assist with efforts to battle the blaze, which had ripped through 7,300 hectares by yesterday afternoon and triggered a smoke warning after ash fell in the Perth about 30km from the fire front.
Australians flee massive bushfire near Perth amid coronavirus lockdown
The out-of-control fire near the city of Perth in Western Australia has destroyed dozens of homes. Many residents across the region have been told it s too late to evacuate.
The number of houses lost to the blaze is expected to rise
Residents near the Australian city of Perth were forced to leave their homes during a coronavirus-induced lockdown on Tuesday due to an uncontained blaze.
At least 56 homes have been destroyed and firefighters were said to be working in extremely volatile conditions to prevent more properties from being lost. The fire is currently 7,000 hectares in size with the perimeter of around 75 kilometers (47 miles), Department of Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters told local media.