Bushfire blocks evacuation routes, leaving residents stranded
Residents in a string of coastal communities have been told it’s too late to leave their properties as an out-of-control bushfire cuts evacuation routes.
An emergency warning is in place for parts of Wedge Island, Grey, Cervantes, Nambung, and Cooljarloo in the Shire of Dandaragan in Western Australia (WA).
It includes the fishing villages of Wedge and Grey, about 170 kilometres north of Perth.
“It is too late to leave,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in an alert on Thursday.
“Fire has impacted evacuation routes and leaving now will put your life in danger.”
People in the town of Cervantes, about 200 kilometres north of the WA capital, have been told to evacuate.
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“Leave in a northerly direction along Indian Ocean Drive towards Jurien Bay,” the alert said.
An emergency warning has also been issued for a separate inland bushfire in the Shire of Toodyay, about 90 kilometres northeast of Perth.
People in parts of West Toodyay have been told to evacuate if it is safe to do so as a blaze bears down on them from the west.
About 200 firefighters are battling the Dandaragan blaze. Crews are also building containment lines around Cervantes, a town of about 500 people.
Two large air tankers are flying from NSW to help the four fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters already fighting the fire.
Parts of Indian Ocean Drive and multiple surrounding roads have been closed in the area.
“The bushfire is moving in a westerly direction towards Cervantes, Wedge, and Grey,” emergency services said of the coastal fire.
“It is not contained or controlled.”
The Dandaragan blaze was started on Monday by a fatal car crash and has burned through about 43,000 hectares of bushland.
Two volunteer firefighters were burned on Wednesday as the blaze flared.
A man in his 60s, who was airlifted to Fiona Stanley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, remains in the facility in a stable condition.
The other firefighter sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
An evacuation centre is open at Jurien Bay Sports and Recreation Centre.
Nambung National Park has also been closed.
