Since Saturday, the two bushfires have ravaged 4,000 acres of forest land located to the north and southeast of Perth.
In the communities of Kelmscott and Roleystone, a total of 68 homes have been destroyed, with many more affected.
Craig Hynes, the chief operations officer for the authority, reported that two hundred firefighters fought valiantly to control the fires, but unfortunately, they could not save the homes.
He expressed concern that the number of homes lost could increase as the assessment of the Perth Hills region progresses.
Hynes stated that a firefighter suffered injuries while combating the blaze, which started shortly before noon on Sunday, but is now in stable condition at a hospital.
The catastrophic fires have erupted following weeks of extreme weather conditions that have caused significant disruptions in various parts of Australia.
Just a day prior, a category five cyclone, noted to be Australia’s largest tropical storm, caused widespread destruction in Queensland, leading to an estimated $3.5 billion in damages.
This unexpected cyclone followed weeks of severe flooding that impacted two-thirds of the state, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 individuals.
Fortunately, the fires have not yet resulted in any fatalities. However, details concerning the injury of a female firefighter engaged in firefighting remain undisclosed by the authorities.
According to Hynes, several residents sought medical attention for minor smoke inhalation.
‘It’s reassuring to note that there have been no serious injuries or deaths,’ he remarked.
Those who were evacuated from the fire’s path on Sunday have only recently been permitted to return to their residences. While some will find their homes intact, others will not be as fortunate.
On Sunday evening, I made my way into the Clifton Hills area. The entire hillside was aflame, and the winds were fierce. The fire could be seen being driven downhill by the wind…with spot fires present everywhere.
Accompanied by a resident who chose to remain, I hurried further up the hill, witnessing what can only be described as a fire-bomb dropping onto a house. The resulting explosion was immense as the fire was propelled by the wind, consuming the house within seconds. Fortunately, no one was home.
Despite our attempts to save the house, we stood little chance. Our primary concern then shifted to preventing the fire from spreading to nearby residences. We succeeded in containing the fire, which was a relief, but upon returning with the resident I had run up the hill with, we discovered that his house was now ablaze. Upon returning to his property, the same chaotic scene was unfolding, with wonderful neighbors assisting in efforts to extinguish the flames. Although he lost his home, the spirit of community was truly remarkable, restoring a sense of faith in humanity…well, at least faith in Australians.
The local IGA provided free meals, and a burger van was available offering complimentary food for those in need.
A few “undesirables” attempted to take advantage of the situation for free food, despite not being residents of the Clifton Hills area. Such incidents always occur during a natural disaster.
The expenses associated with this recent disaster could potentially reach tens of millions of dollars to repair the damages and rebuild homes once the fires are extinguished.
In the Swan Valley district to the north, approximately 150 firefighters, utilizing water-bombing helicopters and trucks, had successfully contained another fire by early Monday. There was no damage to property reported.“`html
There was a loss in that area.
The spokesman Alan Gale commented, ‘Conditions remain windy, yet they are not nearly as severe as they were yesterday.’
Authorities instructed approximately 100 individuals to evacuate their residences as they worked to control the blaze that ignited on Saturday night, having already burned around 3,000 acres of forest land by Monday.
According to a statement from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Roleystone fire was unintentionally sparked by an off-duty policeman who was operating an electric grinder in his backyard, causing sparks to ignite dry grass.
He must be feeling terrible at this moment.
Ultimately, I evacuated the area and returned very early in the morning. I heard from a local radio station that in two different locations within the Clifton Hills area, two men were using electric angle-grinders. Are these individuals truly that foolish?
Clearly, they are.
I have come across many inspiring tales of individuals assisting one another and everyone coming together to provide aid to those in need.
The other fire was ignited when a tree branch, dislodged by strong winds, collided with electrical transmission infrastructure.
Firefighters are nearing the containment of the first wildfire and another that ignited over the weekend in the same region of Western Australia.
The fires in Australia’s far west are occurring as vast regions of the east coast are recovering from a significant cyclone that impacted Queensland state last week, along with flooding caused by heavy rains in both Queensland and southern Victoria state.
February signifies the peak of the monsoon season in the tropical north as well as the most critical period for wildfires.
On Monday, survivors of the wildfires that devastated Victoria, claiming 173 lives and destroying 2,000 homes, commemorated the second anniversary of Australia’s most catastrophic fire disaster.
by John Jackson
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