A bushfire crisis that destroyed several properties in Perth’s hills has subsided, and emergency fires in other parts of southern Western Australia have been reduced.
Key points:
- Four major fires stretched resources in southern WA in the past 24 hours
- Homes were lost in the fast-moving Parkerville bushfire
- The emergency threat has passed but weather conditions remain unfavourable
On Thursday morning, a fire quickly engulfed homes in Parkerville, 30 kilometers east of Perth, giving residents little time to flee. One of the destroyed properties belonged to Mark Norton, who had just minutes to escape before flames engulfed the home. “The fire was on both sides, really, really hot … it was an awful experience,” he added. “The house is burned, everything is gone.” The emergency warning area at one stage included the neighbouring suburbs of Hovea and Stoneville, but it was reduced just before 2pm. The fire was downgraded to a watch and act alert at 2:45pm, and residents at a community meeting in the Swan Valley were told the fire had been contained. Dozens of nervous people gathered at Brown Park.
