One home has been lost and hundreds of others are under threat from an emergency bushfire authorities suspect was deliberately lit in the West Australian city of Geraldton.<\/p>\n
Dozens of firefighters are being sent from Perth to help extinguish the bushfire amid extremely hot, dry and windy conditions.<\/p>\n
People in parts of the northern suburbs of Bluff Point, Spalding and Sunset Beach are being urged to leave their homes now, while residents in Waggrakine and Moresby are being warned it is still not safe to return home.<\/p>\n
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Water bombers are helping fire crews on the ground fight the blaze. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)<\/p>\n
“We can confirm we have lost one residence … from ember attack,” Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Superintendent Mark Bowen said on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
“And we have one small old outbuilding [destroyed], a small asbestos shed.”<\/p>\n
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Fire crews are battling hot and windy conditions as the blaze threatens lives and homes. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)<\/p>\n
Mr Bowen said early signs indicated the fire was deliberately lit.<\/p>\n
Fire warning ahead of hot summer<\/a><\/p>\n An increased risk of bushfire is expected for parts of WA, NSW and Victoria this summer, with most areas expecting hotter than normal temperatures.<\/p>\n “It’s under investigation, but it does appear to be suspicious,” he said.<\/p>\n “That’s not confirmed, but all initial indicators are that it was a suspicious fire.”<\/p>\n More outbreaks feared in 42C heat<\/p>\n Mr Bowen said the weather conditions were “very challenging” for firefighters, with a top of 42 degrees Celsius expected on Monday.<\/p>\n Loading…<\/p>\n “We have very strong easterly winds gusting up to 80 kilometres an hour,” he said.<\/p>\n “Our main focus this afternoon is when that sea breeze comes in, all of the eastern side of the fire will put pressure on the control lines that we’ve established, and we may see further outbreaks later this afternoon.”<\/p>\n Mr Bowen said the fire appeared to cause “minor damage”, but the area was still being assessed.<\/p>\n Another 60 firefighters are travelling from Perth today to relieve local crews who have battled a number of blazes in recent days.<\/p>\n Mr Bowen said residents in areas of Geraldton close to the fire zone who were not currently being impacted should prepare their properties in case the blaze spreads.<\/p>\n “Obviously, this is a very dangerous situation,” he said.<\/p>\n “Any preparation should have been done [by] now, but especially those on the eastern side of the fire, [people should] prepare now.<\/p>\n “There is a probability that the fire will break containment this afternoon, so they need to be prepared.”<\/p>\n Wary locals on stand-by<\/p>\n Spalding resident Ross Reynolds has spent the morning patrolling his property with a hose in hand, describing the “hot and windy conditions”.<\/p>\n Spalding resident Ross Reynolds is patrolling his property with a hose in hand. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)<\/p>\n “I’m just watering down the gutters and stuff like that. We haven’t got much water pressure at the moment, I think the fire brigade are sucking up all the water,” he said.<\/p>\n “I’m hopeful I’m all right here. I’ve got big footy ovals surrounding me, so hopefully that’s enough to keep it at bay, but the flying embers would be the worry.”<\/p>\n Mr Reynolds said he was also concerned for his father who lives nearby.<\/p>\n Smoke rose over the horizon in Geraldton on Sunday as the fire spread. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)<\/p>\n “I was going to go to work but changed my mind and came back \u2026 [to] make sure he can get out if he has to,” he said.<\/p>\n ‘Unsafe in a matter of minutes’<\/p>\n Sunset Beach resident Kerry Baker said she chose to evacuate within minutes of spotting smoke on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n She had been napping when the power went out.<\/p>\n Sunset Beach resident Kerry Baker is worried about being cornered by the fire. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)<\/p>\n “I went into the street to see if anyone else had lost power, and I didn’t realise there was a fire behind the house,” she said.<\/p>\n “Everything was black and dark.”<\/p>\n Sunset Beach lies between the coast and the fireground, and Ms Baker \u2014 bordered by Chapman River to the south \u2014 was worried about being cornered by the blaze.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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