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The Department of Fire and Emergency Services says hot, dry and windy conditions over the next two days will test containment lines as crews continue to battle a fire that has been burning north of Perth for almost a week.
The potential for the fire to escalate rapidly means warning areas could change at short notice, the department said, and residents were urged to check the Emergency WA website regularly for updates.
Strong easterly winds are set to hamper efforts to control a fire emergency in the Shire of Gingin, north of Perth.
Credit:Nine
Ocean Farms Estate and Seaview Park residents are being told they are unable to return home, and a bushfire emergency warning is in place for people in parts of Cataby, Lancelin, Regans Ford, Red Gully, Cowalla, Moore River National Park, Nilgen, Mimegarra, Wedge Island, Karakin, Yathroo, Orange Springs, Cooljarloo and Ledge Point.
Bushfire emergency continues north of Perth as firefighters brace for worsening conditions
ThuThursday 7
updated
TueTuesday 26
JanJanuary 2021 at 11:47am
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An emergency warning remains in place in the shires of Gingin and Dandaragan, north of Perth, as a bushfire continues to threaten lives and homes.
Key points:
But there are concerns over hot and windy weather forecast to come
The temperature in the area was set to surge past 40C on Friday
The blaze remains out of control and has broken containment lines in areas to the north of Regans Ford.
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Authorities are calling the situation extremely fragile and are bringing in extra support from the Pilbara and Kimberley regions to help control the blaze.
There are already more than 200 WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services crew members and volunteers on the scene working in shifts to protect the community. I m confident we will get on top of it, but the weather we ve been having and the weather coming have been testing us, Incident Controller Sven Andersen said. We ve had a day or so where it hasn t busted out, but people shouldn t become complacent.
The weather over the next two days is expected to be very hot, dry and windy and tomorrow temperatures in the fire affected area are expected to peak at around 42C.
Heat is on its way to large parts of the country today temperatures set to soar across Western and South Australia.
Perth is sizzling through what the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) classifies as a low-intensity heatwave, with the maximum temperature in the city expecting to hit 41C.
Yesterday the maximum temperature reached 38.5C and Saturday is tipped to reach 37C.
The severe heat come as fire services attempt to control a fire emergency in the Shire of Gingin, north of Perth.
Conditions have prompted a number of high and very high fire danger ratings from the state s Department of Fire and Emergency Services today.