A quick spreading bushfire that erupted in Ellenbrook on Thursday afternoon has put dozens of homes at risk and damaged several properties, as firefighters told residents it was still not safe to return to the area.
The fire was first noticed just before 3 PM in a small pocket of bushland in Ellenbrook, 30 kilometers northeast of Perth with the flames advancing on a densely populated residential estate of more than 100 homes.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services reported that six to eight properties had been damaged, although there were no reported injuries.
A car had crashed into a tree in the rush to evacuate.
Watch and act warning was issued for residents in the area of Ellenbrook, with the warning area defined by authorities as including streets around the Broadway, Galatea Pass and Farmaner Parkway.
Firefighters asked that those who had already left the area remain away while crews worked to make the area safe.
DFES district officer Tim McGrade said it was too soon to determine if the fire had been deliberately lit, with the police squad investigating.
At least three planes and two helicopters were used to help crews get the fire under control as smoke drifted through the suburb.
Footage of the fire broadcast on the ABC showed a backyard cabana fully engulfed in flames as firefighters worked along fence lines near homes.
Residents reported chaotic conditions as the wind shifted and the fire quickly jumped through scrubland. One resident, Bruce told ABC Radio Perth: “It’s pretty chaotic.”
By Thursday evening, Emergency WA had reduced the alert level to an advice level with a “return with caution” warning remaining in place for parts of Ellenbrook.
