Bushfire bears down on another town in Western Australia

More than 200 firefighters are continuing to tackle a massive bushfire that has already destroyed one town in Western Australia and is now bearing down on another.

The blaze started near Waroona earlier this week before tearing through the small town of Yarloop, destroying almost 100 homes, and has now burnt more than 67,000 hectares.

With a perimeter stretching across more than 220 kilometres, the fire continues to sweep south, and is now encroaching on more towns, with Harvey actively under threat.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said the bushfire was just five kilometres away from Harvey, and people planning to leave should do so in a southerly direction if the way was clear.

An emergency warning also covered Hamel, Cookenup, Myalup, Pamelup Estate, Preston Beach and Lake Clifton, as well as Waroona and Yarloop.

Many residents in affected areas had been told it was no longer safe to leave.

The fire was believed to have taken just seven minutes to sweep through Yarloop on Wednesday night, with residents offering harrowing tales of their encounters.

However, three people who had been unaccounted for were found, while around 100 residents left in Yarloop on Thursday night were earlier escorted to an evacuation centre.

Earlier, DFES said 100 people remained stranded on Preston Beach, with the area unable to be evacuated.

There have so far been no confirmed serious injuries in the fire.

Several firefighters are understood to have suffered slight injuries while tackling the blaze, while a fire truck was destroyed at Lake Clifton.

     

Author: 
Radio New Zealand International