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. “You couldn’t breathe, it was just raining ash”, she said.
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“It appears that we’ve lost around 95 houses, a number of structures within the town site including some of the historical buildings, the workshops, some factories… also losses to post offices, adjacent stores and our own fire station infrastructure”, said Wayne Gregson, Western Australia Fire and Emergency Services commissioner. The three people originally unaccounted for in Yarloop have since been reported as safe.
Gregson said local authorities are still considering asking their interstate counter parts for assistance as the fire is still threatening significant dairy and beef producing towns south of Perth, though it would depend on how long the fired burned.
Resources across Western Australia have been stretched as a result of the destruction, and 150 fire trucks supported by water bombers are working to contain the wildfires.
“It has been a very challenging fire for us – it’s still a challenge, (we’re) not out of the woods yet”.
Alcoa Inc said two of its buildings have been destroyed but its Western Australia alumina refining operations have not been affected by the fire.
Four people tragically died in a series of wildfires sparked by lightning in Western Australia state in November a year ago following a spate of earlier blazes in other Australian states from persistent hot and dry conditions.
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In 2009, wildfires destroyed more than 2,000 houses in Victoria state. and killed 173 people.
