An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire burning near homes in Perth’s south, in the midst of yet another summer heatwave.
People in the Cockburn Ice Arena and Adventure World, Perth’s major theme park, are advised to shelter in place.
The fire has jumped North Lake Road, a major route in Bibra Lake.
Adventure World is closed today, but the ice rink is open as the temperature in Perth topped 38C.
The bushfire is moving in a north easterly direction and is not contained or controlled.
Much of southern WA is experiencing “extreme” bushfire conditions today, with more than 25 schools closed across the state.
DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said Tuesday’s conditions were the worst the state has seen in two years.
Extra water bombers have been flown into Albany while volunteer brigades across the regions have been put on stand-by.
Fire crews on alert as schools shut
DFES acting Great Southern superintendent Mark Feast said crews were on high alert.
“We’ve got additional strike teams and aircraft are available to be deployed in the highest risk areas including Narrogin, Esperance and Albany,” Superintendent Feast said.
He said crews who responded to a recent bushfire in Green Range in the Great Southern had been rested in preparation.
“Crews have had days off and rest and we’ve brought in additional crews who have had rostered days off,” he said.
Department of Education director Lisa Rodgers said the school closures were on advice from DFES and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to “ensure the safety of students and staff in our schools”.
“We do everything we can to keep schools open, but when there is an extreme alert issued by DFES and BOM, schools are pre-emptively closed,” she said.
“These schools are not closed because of hot weather in the area. Pre-emptive closures are for schools on the bushfire zone register … and relate to the risk of a bushfire.”
WA in grip of lingering heatwave
It comes as parts of WA continue to bake through a heatwave, with Carnarvon soaring to 49.9C – what’s believed to be the world’s hottest temperature recorded this year – on Sunday.
Ravensthorpe is forecast to hit 45C on Tuesday, with only three centres in the Great Southern predicted to stay below a maximum of 40C.
The south coast faced a major bushfire last week that tore through more than 7500 hectares of scrubland near Green Range, east of Albany.
That and two other fires have been deemed suspicious by police with investigations underway.
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