Missing people found safe after West Australia bushfire rips through Yarloop

Yarloop residents are angry authorities ignored their fears about a lack of water pressure in the town past year after a resident told media there was no water for firefighters to use to try and fight the blaze which destroyed the town on Friday.

‘But at least we’re alive, ‘ she said.

“A massive amount of history has been lost in this fire, massive”, Mr Sackville said.

“The ICA has been liaising with the West Australian Government and emergency services, and has made a decision to escalate the industry’s response due to the severity of the situation”, Mr Whelan said.

Harvey resident Micheal Macrae evacuated with 12 other people and also said she hoped her home was still standing when she returned.

About 95 houses in Yarloop, south of Perth, have been destroyed but three missing people are reported missing.

“These are, as yet, to be definitively confirmed figures, but it appears that we’ve lost around 95 houses, a number of structures within the town site including some of the historical buildings, the workshops, some factories, and an impact at 70 percent on the demountable component of the local school”, he said.

Mr Gregson said “three or four” firefighting personnel had sustained slight injuries and a fire truck was also destroyed at Lake Clifton.

“But I look around 360 degrees and everything is burnt to a cinder. I think the church is gone”.

It continues to threaten the communities of Waroona, Hamel, Cookenup, Yarloop and Harvey, with a bushfire Emergency Warning in place for the region. You couldn’t breathe, it was just raining ash, ‘ she said.

The fire was believed to have been started by a lightning strike.

So far 31,000 hectares have been burnt, a vineyard lost, and a man in his early 20s was burnt on his back while battling the blaze near Waroona on Thursday afternoon.

Evacuation centres have been set up at Murray Leisure Centre, 16 Camp Road, Pinjarra and Leschenault Leisure Centre, Leisure Drive, Australind.

“We are making inquiries … at the moment”, WA Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson said.