‘Three missing’ as 50m bushfire razes nearly 100 homes in Australian town

A major bushfire in Western Australia has destroyed nearly 100 homes and left three people unaccounted for. The fire, which had already razed 53,000 hectares of land this week, struck Yarloop, south of Perth, on Thursday night. Ninety-five homes were destroyed, along with the post office, shops and the fire station in the town, which has a population of just 545. Three people are missing although three other members of the same family turned up safe and well. Four firefighters were hurt tackling the blaze. “I believe we’ve had what I would suggest are catastrophic losses within Yarloop,” Wayne Gregson, Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner, said on Friday.

It just got out of control … after that it just ripped through, it was quite scary. It’s like when you see in the war when the napalm bombers go through

Volunteer firefighter Jesse Puccio

The latest fire could yet spread to more communities, officials are warning. Wind gusts of up to 60km/h (37mph) fanned the blaze, dubbed the Waroona fire, to heights of 50m overnight. It is the latest in a series of fires which have razed parts of the country amid Australia’s fifth hottest year on record. More than 100 homes were destroyed in fires on Christmas Day in Victoria, while two people were killed in South Australia. Wildfires are an annual summer event in Australia but rising temperatures have prompted some scientists to warn that climate change could increase the length and intensity of the summer fire season.

There’s very little of Yarloop left. I couldn’t get all the way down there but understand the steam museum is gone … the post office survived, the pub is gone, the bowling club survived

Yarloop Bowling Club president Ron Sackville

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