Residents in a series of coastal communities threatened by a bushfire have been told it’s too late to leave and they should find shelter as the fire burns through evacuation points.
An emergency warning is in place for parts of Wedge Island, Grey, Cervantes, Nambung and Cooljarloo in the Shire of Dandaragan in Western Australia.
At the fishing shack villages of Wedge Island and Grey, about 170km north of Perth, about 40 residents who chose to stay have been told: “It is too late to leave and you must act immediately and take shelter now to survive”.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in an alert early on Friday.
“There is a threat to lives and homes.”
People in the seaside holiday town of Cervantes, about 200km north of Perth, have also been told it is too late to leave.
“Fire has impacted evacuation routes and leaving now will put your life in danger,” the alert said.
“You need to identify a room in your home where you can shelter from the approaching fire.
“It should have running water, such as a kitchen or laundry, and have a clear exit so you can easily escape.”
Incident controller Damien Pumphrey on Thursday night described the fire as a fierce blaze and said a change in wind direction was fanning it towards the communities.
He said difficult, windy weather conditions were expected for the next two days.
“The fire currently has a 48km perimeter … increasing the challenge for firefighters,” he told reporters.
More than 200 firefighters are battling the Dandaragan blaze. Crews are also building containment lines around Cervantes, a town of about 500 people.
Two large air tankers from the eastern states are set to join the battle to help the four fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters fighting it.
Parts of Indian Ocean Drive and multiple surrounding roads have been closed in the area.
“The bushfire is moving in a westerly direction towards Cervantes, Wedge and Grey,” emergency services said.
“It is not contained or controlled.”
The blaze was started on Monday by a fatal car crash and has burned through more than 49,000 hectares of bushland.
Two volunteer firefighters were burned on Wednesday as the blaze flared.
A man in his 60s, who was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, remains there in a stable condition.
The other firefighter sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
An evacuation centre at Jurien Bay Sports and Recreation Centre was closed overnight, but is expected to reopen at 8am on Friday.
Nambung National Park has also been closed.
Temperatures are set to reach the high 30s over coming days, with squally winds also predicted.
Residents along the Ashburton Coast have been warned to brace for extreme fire conditions on Sunday.
Source: AAP
