Relentless weather conditions give firefighters little reprieve
Persistent
dry, hot and windy conditions have put a strain on firefighters battling blazes
across Western Australia, with no respite for the rest of the week.
Fire
and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM said the extreme heat and
forecast wind changes were a catastrophic combination that could result in
small fires quickly getting out of control.
"This
week’s weather conditions are some of the most challenging firefighting
conditions I have seen in many years and unfortunately, weather conditions are
not easing over the coming days, in fact they are only going to get worse,” he
said.
“These
challenging conditions have been seen in Red Gully and surrounding areas where
an out of control bushfire has been burning since Saturday and temperatures are
expected to soar into the 40s from Thursday.
“We
face the risk of new fires igniting and existing fires escalating, which would
put extreme pressure on emergency services.
“I
would like to thank all volunteer and career firefighters and the Department of
Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions who have worked day and night to get
these fires under control.
“But
this is a reminder that firefighters can’t be on every doorstep, so all Western
Australians need to play their part by having a bushfire plan and being ready
to act.”
For
more information on how to prepare your family and home for a bushfire visit
mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au.
Stay
up to date with the latest bushfire emergency information by visiting
emergency.wa.gov.au.