Fires in Western Australia destroys a town

'Demon' bushfire sparked by lightning wipes out an entire town in WA destroying 95 houses and melting the ROAD - as 100 people are stranded on a remote beach

• At least 95 homes have been lost in the small WA town of Yarloop 
• Three people are still missing after the fire raged through the town
• The town, which has a population of 545, lost most of its amenities 
• Historic buildings, factories, the post office, and a fire station destroyed 
• Emergency warnings are in place for nearby Shires Waroona and Harvey   
• Evacuation centres set up at Pinjarra (north) and Australind (south) 

Firefighters battling an out-of-control 'demon fire' as it ripped through Yarloop in Western Australia

Daily Mail,

8 January, 2015

At least 95 homes have been lost in the small WA town of Yarloop after a demon bushfire swept through the town leaving carnage and destruction in its wake.

The small West Australian township, which is located about 120 kilometres south of Perth, was decimated following an unpredictable bushfire that was called a 'demon fire' by those living there.

The town, which has a population of 545, has lost about 95 homes, historic buildings, workshops, factories, the post office, a fire station and part of a local school, Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said. 

The blaze - which has burnt through 58,000 hectares of land - is now moving in a southwesterly direction towards Shires of Waroona and Harvey, with firefighters issuing emergency warnings for the regions.

A Department of Fires and Emergency Services spokeswoman told the Daily Mail Australia three residents from the same family who were previously unaccounted for have since been found, but three further individuals were still missing from the region. 

The fire is said to have been sparked by lightning early on Wednesday morning. 

The intense heat of the bushfire has caused the Samson Brook bridge, near Yarloop, and the asphalt on it to buckle and collapse

The blaze - which has burnt through 58,000 hectares of land - is now moving in a southwesterly direction towards Shires of Waroona and Harvey

A staff member from the K9 Rescue Group takes a scared dog that was evacuated from the Waroona bush fire to their shelter in Mandurah 

Residents of Waroona and the surrounding area listen to a community briefing at the temporary bush fire evacuation centre at the Murray Leisure Centre in Pinjarra

Smoke clouds caused by the huge bush fire which ravaged the small town of Waroona

Total devastation: Emergency Services have described the losses within Yarloop as 'catastrophic'

Residents evacuating from Treendale - 40 minutes south of Yarloop - said ash and burnt wood was falling from the sky and blanketing cars and houses

Heavy rain in the affected regions helped to slightly ease the fire's intensity across the afternoon, but emergency services are concerned that forecast thunderstorms could create further problems.

The spokeswoman said there were 'Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Parks and Wildlife and Volunteer Bushfire Brigades' working to ease the flames.

A request for interstate assistance has also been made. 

Conditions have been 'extremely difficult,' with huge gusts of wind making the blaze extremely dangerous and unpredictable, WA Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson told the ABC.

'I believe we've had what I would suggest [are] catastrophic losses within Yarloop,' he said.

At least 95 homes have been lost in the small WA town of Yarloop after a demon bushfire swept through the town leaving carnage and destruction in its wake.

The small West Australian township, which is located about 120 kilometres south of Perth, was decimated following an unpredictable bushfire that was called a 'demon fire' by those living there.

The town, which has a population of 545, has lost about 95 homes, historic buildings, workshops, factories, the post office, a fire station and part of a local school, Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson said. 

The blaze - which has burnt through 58,000 hectares of land - is now moving in a southwesterly direction towards Shires of Waroona and Harvey, with firefighters issuing emergency warnings for the regions.

A Department of Fires and Emergency Services spokeswoman told the Daily Mail Australia three residents from the same family who were previously unaccounted for have since been found, but three further individuals were still missing from the region. 

The fire is said to have been sparked by lightning early on Wednesday morning. 

The blaze - which has burnt through 58,000 hectares of land - is now moving in a southwesterly direction towards Shires of Waroona and Harvey

Residents evacuating from Treendale - 40 minutes south of Yarloop - said ash and burnt wood was falling from the sky and blanketing cars and houses

Heavy rain in the affected regions helped to slightly ease the fire's intensity across the afternoon, but emergency services are concerned that forecast thunderstorms could create further problems.

The spokeswoman said there were 'Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Parks and Wildlife and Volunteer Bushfire Brigades' working to ease the flames.

A request for interstate assistance has also been made. 

Conditions have been 'extremely difficult,' with huge gusts of wind making the blaze extremely dangerous and unpredictable, WA Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson told the ABC.

'I believe we've had what I would suggest [are] catastrophic losses within Yarloop,' he said.

Emergency Services Minister Joe Francis said the government would do what it could to help the Yarloop community.

'To lose one-third of a township, one-third of those houses, people's homes is obviously going to be very challenging for that community,' he said.

'Our absolute number one priority is obviously to fight the fire and try and get it under control as quickly as possible so that less people's homes and livelihoods are at risk.'

It was a blaze that left the tiny town of Yarloop, which has a population of 545, devastated

Dense clouds of smoke can be seen rising in the distance as the fire spreads rapidly

Fire crews did their best to stop the fire spreading but it was a losing battle 

All that the nasty fire left behind was scorched earth and devastation

Trees and other foliage go up in flames as the bushfire goes on relentlessly in Yarloop

Yarloop resident Kate Barry said she lost her home in the blaze, but had no idea how bad the bushfire was until a local firefighter told her she had to evacuate.

She and her four children, aged between six and 19, managed to flee with their family photos, but everything else was probably destroyed when the home was razed.

'There were no flames, just smoke. You couldn't breathe, it was just raining ash,' she said.

Ms Barry said her children could still not comprehend that they had lost everything.

'But at least we're alive,' she said.

Carolyn Foeken said she had to bolt from Cookenup to Busselton with her two grandsons.

'We don't know if we've got a home or not,' she said.

The out-of-control and unpredictable blaze, which was sparked by lightning on Wednesday, has doubled in size overnight due to strong winds and has now burnt more than 53,000 hectares.

An update - 

Small reprieve for firefighters battling WA blaze

Fire authorities in Western Australia say a massive bushfire burning towards the town of Harvey has slowed considerably but residents near the fire zone are still being warned to act immediately..