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The number of homes destroyed by an out-of-control bushfire in Perth s northeast has been revised up to more than 80 as firefighters battle flames fanned by strong winds for the fourth day.
The massive blaze with a 126-kilometre perimeter has raced northwest across the city s coastal plain after destroying dozens of homes near the hills town of Wooroloo on Monday night.
Estimates of properties lost started at 56 on Tuesday morning, but by Wednesday that number had grown to 71, with concerns more had been destroyed.
Premier Mark McGowan confirmed those fears on Thursday, saying assessment teams had now identified 81 homes lost to the fire.
Perth Hills bushfire emergency claims more homes as blaze continues to burn out of control By Claire Moodie and Charlotte Hamlyn
Firefighters are making progress in containing the massive Perth Hills bushfire, which has so far razed 81 properties in four days and more than 10,00 hectares of land.
DFES incident controller Peter Sutton said firefighters had worked tirelessly and their hard work was paying dividends, although large areas remained under emergency warning where the fire was out of control. The good news is the fire is 90 per cent tracked, he told ABC Radio.
Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters said a separate fire, which started 10 kilometres north of the main Wooroloo fire on Thursday afternoon, was pretty much contained and controlled at this point .
It shows how devastating this bushfire has been for the people involved, Mr McGowan said.
He sent his thoughts to those who had lost homes and thanked the firefighters who continued to work on the ground in harsh conditions to control the fire.
A property on Dinsdale Road in Gidgegannup which was destroyed by bushfire.(Getty)
Senior firefighter David Ellis kneels in front of a home he and colleagues had just saved from a wildfire at Wooroloo, north east of Perth.(AP)
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Emergency WA said the number of homes and businesses without power in fire impacted areas has risen to 465.
Firefighters try to put down a blaze at Wooroloo, near Perth. AP
PERTH: An out-of-control wildfire burning northeast of the Australian west coast city of Perth destroyed at least 59 homes and was threatening more on Tuesday, with many residents across the region told it is too late to leave.
The 7,000-hectare (17,000-acre) blaze, which has an 80-kilometre (50-mile) perimeter, began on Monday and raged through the night near the town of Wooroloo, with the shires of Mundaring, Chittering, Northam, and the city of Swan affected.
Firefighters have done a remarkable job in some of the most challenging conditions that we’ve experienced in the metropolitan region for some time, Western Australia state Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said.
In this photo provided by Department of Fire and Emergency Services, fire burns on a hill at Wooroloo, near Perth, Australia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021.
PERTH, Australia: An out-of-control wildfire burning northeast of the Australian west coast city of Perth has destroyed at least 56 homes and was threatening more Tuesday, with many residents across the region told it is too late to leave.
The 7,000-hectare (17,000-acre) blaze, which has a 80-kilometer (50-mile) perimeter, began on Monday and raged through the night near the town of Wooroloo, with the shires of Mundaring, Chittering, Northam, and the city of Swan affected.
The losses were expected to grow as teams continued their damage assessments, Western Australia state Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said.