Western Australia bushfire out of control as temperatures expected to surge above 40C

An out-of-control bushfire has burnt through more than 11,000 hectares of land north of Perth with residents urged to leave while they still can.

The West Australian bushfire has burned through 5,000 hectares since Wednesday.

It comes as New South Wales firefighters upgraded the Gospers Mountain blaze to an emergency on Saturday afternoon, and police launched an investigation into a spate of fires in regional Victoria.

The Perth blaze was moving west after an early morning wind change, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Saturday.

“People in Guilderton should leave now in a northerly direction if the way is clear as fire is approaching the area,” DFES said.

The emergency warning had also been extended to residents in Two Rocks, Neergabby, Gabbadah, Seabird, Wanerie, Breton Bay, Yeal, Beermullah, Muckenburra, northern parts of Yanchep, Wilbinga, Caraban, and Woodridge.

Read the story from The Guardian by Helen Davidson - “Western Australia bushfire out of control as temperatures expected to surge above 40C.”

Dozens of firefighters under threat from bushfire believed to be deliberately lit

Forty firefighters came under attack from an out-of-control bushfire that is suspected to have been deliberately lit in central Gippsland.

The fire taken from the Princes Highway. CREDIT:

Thousands of residents in 14 towns are on high alert as hundreds of firefighters and aircraft continue to battle the blaze, which spread from 600 hectares on Friday to 10,000 hectares overnight as strong winds swept in from the south west with the evening's cool change.

The fire is about six kilometres south from Rosedale in Victoria's east.

A watch and act warning was issued just after 7:30am on Saturday for 14 towns surrounding the blaze, including Fulham, Giffard West, Kilmany, Kilmany South, Longford, Nambrok, Pearsondale, Rosedale, Sale, Stradbroke, Stradbroke West, Willung, Willung South, Wurruk.

Read the story from The Age by Rachel Wells, Liam Manix and Simone Fox - “Dozens of firefighters under threat from bushfire believed to be deliberately lit.”