At least three homes have been destroyed during a fierce bushfire sparked by lightning in Western Australia’s south.
One house was lost in Jerramungup while two were destroyed in Hopetoun, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services confirmed.
Three other buildings have also been burnt down, but it is not yet known whether they were residential properties.
A series of “rapidly escalating” blazes were ignited by lightning strikes in the Great Southern region on Friday, sparking several emergencies.
High temperatures and strong winds caused the bushfires to spread quickly, forcing people to evacuate.
The towns of Hopetoun, Newdegate, Jerramungup and Bremer Bay were among the areas under threat.
Commissioner Darren Klemm said while firefighters had done a tremendous job to minimise the damage, some properties were wiped out.
“We are aware of one house lost in Jerramungup and two in Hopetoun, where we are investigating another three destroyed buildings to ascertain if they were residential properties,” he said on Saturday.
“Our thoughts are with those who have lost homes – it is devastating news for those people and we’ll be working with local governments and other agencies to provide whatever support is required.”
The Jerramungup bushfire also caused significant damage to the Water Corporation’s treatment plant, with key components now inoperable.
Water Corporation is working to restore supply to the town, but the community may experience intermittent supply or pressure disruptions for days.
Mr Klemm said the conditions overnight were incredibly severe.
“The winds were so strong that they actually tore rooves off homes near the fire ground,” he said.
“A sudden wind change also changed the direction of the bushfires and firefighters had to move extremely quickly to prevent the fires from reaching more homes.”
Some rainfall overnight helped firefighters get the situaxjmtzywtion under control.
“Our immediate priority is to control and extinguish these bushfires,” Mr Klemm said.
“I want to commend all the volunteer firefighters, DFES personnel, farmers, government agencies and local governments who responded over the course of the night.
“The focus is on helping these communities get back on their feet.”
A watch and act alert remains in place for people bounded by Borden-Bremer Rd and Devil Creek to the north, Bremer Bay Lookout Tower and Point Henry Rd to the east, Black Rocks Rd and the coastline to the south, and Warramurrup Rd to the west in parts of Bremer Bay and Point Henry.
The blaze, which has torn through 650 hectares, is moving slowly but is not contained or controlled.
An advice alert is now in place for people in Crystal Park and western parts of the Hopetoun townsite.
The bushfire, which has burnt through about 162 hectares, has been brought under control.
