Residents just an hour away from Perth are being warned to take immediate action or risk losing their lives, with an emergency bushfire warning in place.
The most urgent alert remained in place on Monday morning, with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) warning homes and lives were at risk
Residents in several towns including parts of Bindoon, Breera, Gingin, Lennard Brooke, Mooliabeenee, and Moondah have been told they are “in danger and need to act immediately to survive,” with homes on Wowra Dr and Lennard Rd already under threat by fire.
Households have been told to either leave for a safer place or take shelter in their homes if it’s not safe for them to get away.
People who are not at their homes should not return due to the dangerous conditions.
More than 200 firefighters, support personnel and aerial support staff are battling the cluster of blazes in the Gingin and Chittering shires, with a severe heat warning sending temperatures into the mid-forties.
A Watch and Act warning is also in place for the nearby areas of Bambun, Coonabidgee, Breera and Lennard Brooke.
“There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching in the area and conditions are changing,” the DFES has warned.
The bushfire-prone conditions are expected for the remainder of the week, with a thunderstorm warning adding to the fire dangers.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an extreme fire danger warning for the areas of Barrup and Blackwood for Monday, as hot, dry and windy conditions will elevate the chances of fires.
The risk of thunderstorms in the South West Land Division could also ignite fires, with firefighters on high alert.
Severe heatwave warnings are also in place for large parts of the state, pushing temperatures into the low to mid-forties.
The Bureau warns the conditions are expected to linger into the week. The wide-ranging areas likely to be impacts include Perth’s eastern suburbs, Bunbury, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, Manjimup, Margaret River, Merredin, Narrogin, Northam, Wiluna and Warburton.