Aerial support has been sent to help firefighters on the ground as they battle a bushfire raging east of Mandurah in WA’s Peel region.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued a bushfire emergency warning for an area bounded by Albany Highway, Fuller Road, Moramockining Road, Fourteen Mile Brook Road, Lyons Road and Wilkie Road.
The warning covers parts of Crossman, Dwarda, Williams and Wandering, near Boddington, which is itself under a bushfire advice warning.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” the emergency warning reads.
The fire is moving in a north-easterly direction and is not contained or controlled.
Several roads have been closed, including Albany Highway in both directions between Jarrahdale Road and the Williams townsite.
The fire was first reported just after midday on Thursday, and is believed to have been ignited by a lightning strike.
Fitzgerald River National Park fire downgraded
Meanwhile, several alerts covering communities around the Fitzgerald River National Park in WA’s Great Southern have been downgraded to watch and act warnings.
Residents in parts of Jerramungup, Pingrup, Ravesthorpe, West River and Bremer Bay had been earlier urged to flee as a fire which ignited on Friday increased in intensity.
However, those warnings were downgraded on Friday morning and an evacuation centre in Newdegate was closed due to improving conditions and a change in the bushfire’s behaviour.
Communities were still warned of a possible threat to lives and homes, and it is not safe to return to the Fitzgerald River National Park.
The bushfire is still not contained or controlled, and has burnt about 146,000 since it was believed to have been ignited by lightning on Friday.
South Coast Highway between Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe remains closed, along with several others.
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