Waroona bushfires: Firefighters contain blaze overnight down to a watch and act level

A devastating bushfire that destroyed several properties and razed thousands of hectares near Nanga Brook has been contained. People in areas of Coolup, Meelon, Nanga Brook, Teesdale and Waroona remain on a watch and act alert on Tuesday morning after the fire was downgraded from an emergency-level warning on Monday evening. The fire has been deemed “contained but not controlled” as more than 200 firefighters remain on the scene strengthening containment lines. The fire, which was determined to have accidentally started on Saturday after a car battery was used by campers to charge their phones, had been at emergency level for two days and has burned through 3150ha of bushland. Eight residences have been destroyed — including three homes and five chalets. Department of Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Darren Klemm confirmed on Monday that the properties destroyed were understood to be short-stay accommodations. “We’ll work through the details of this with the owners over the next couple of couple of days,” he said. “For those families that have lost homes, we understand this can be a difficult time for them, and we’ll be making sure and reaching out to provide support to them as we go through the loss notification process. “Without the outstanding efforts of the more than 150 firefighters and personnel that worked around the clock since this fire started on Saturday afternoon, there would have been more properties lost or damaged or even a loss of life.” Commissioner Klemm said variable winds and difficult terrain provided challenging conditions for firefighters. Aerial support has been critical in protecting homes, as the large air tanker had dropped about 135,000 litres on the fire since Saturday. On Tuesday morning, the blaze is now stationary, however, residents are urged to be vigilant in case the situation changes and those who are patrolling their homes are urged to look out for spotfires that may spark. Residents in the warning area have been told it is not yet safe to return to their homes.