Raging bushfires have cut off towns and evacuation routes across a string of Western Australian coasts, with warnings it is “too late to leave”.
The communities of Wedge Island, Gray, Cervantes, Nambun and Curjaro remain under a red alert, but residents have no means of evacuating.
Out-of-control fires whipped up by dry winds have destroyed more than 73,000 hectares of bushland in the past four days.
But a warning issued by the fire and rescue department on Friday to the cities of Cervantes, Courjalou and Nanbun said: “It’s too late to leave.”
“The alert level for Cervantes remains unchanged as backburning continues on the east side of town,” it added. “You are in danger and must act quickly to survive. Your life and home are at risk.
“It’s too late to leave. The fire has affected evacuation routes and evacuating now will put lives at risk.”
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the fire had “tripled in size” since Wednesday and residents needed to evacuate to survive.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” he told reporters on Friday. “We are experiencing severe weather conditions today and throughout the weekend. Thankfully, there are no reports of property loss or loss of life.”
Fire and Emergency Services Director Darren Klemm said the fire was about three kilometers from Cervantes. “Containment lines remain strong in Cervantes and the Wedge, while dunes protect the community of Gray.”
About 200 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze and build containment lines around Cervantes, where about 500 people live.
One volunteer firefighter was treated for minor burns and released from the hospital on Thursday, but two others escaped unharmed the same day a power line fell on their truck.
With variable winds and temperatures expected to reach 37 degrees inland and 35 degrees along the coast, authorities are bracing for even tougher days ahead.
