Gwelup bushfire deemed to be caused accidentally after crow flies into powerline

A bushfire that burnt dangerously close to homes in Perth’s north on Sunday afternoon has been deemed accidental after a bird flew into powerlines, sparking the blaze.

Firefighters were called to the corner of Wanstead Street and Porter Street in Gwelup, bordering the Lake Karrinyup Country Club shortly after 5.30pm.

The blaze ripped through the popular park, which is adjacent to homes, for more than 90 minutes before it was escalated to a watch and act warning.

Pockets of bushland flared up in the sweltering heat, with residents reporting 15m-high flames burning up to the back fences of more than a dozen homes in the exclusive Spiderlily Mews estate, which backs onto the golf course.

Multiple firefighting crews tackled the fire from the ground, with several helicopters offering aerial support.

The nearby homes were the focus of heightened alerts, before the Department of Fire and Emergency Services downgraded the fire after 8pm, when they got it under control.

Wanstead Street resident Steve told 7NEWS the area had been like a tinder box, with Perth’s dry summer leaving the bushland highly flammable.

A DFES spokeswoman on Monday morning confirmed the blaze was sparked after a crow flew into a powerline.

No homes were destroyed, however some residents’ fences were damaged, a DFES spokesman said.

Firefighters remain on the scene wetting the singed land to prevent any flare-ups.