A bushfire has threatened lives and homes in Western Australia's South West region, about 220km south of Perth.
Look back on the updates as it happened.
Key events
Live updates
That's all for today's blog
By Shiloh Payne
This is where we'll leave our live coverage for today.
Thank you for joining us.
Here's where you can stay across the latest information:
If you need further emergency assistance, you can find it at:
Defending your home against a bushfire
By Shiloh Payne
Fire agencies recommend that you develop a bushfire survival plan.
If you decide to stay and defend your home, there are some important things to consider.
You can read our illustrated guide on defending your home against a bushfire with the link below.
Here's a look at the blaze from overnight
By Shiloh Payne
This video was shared by local Kirstie Rowe, who took this video near Thomson Brook on the northeastern side of the firefront.
Emergency warning downgraded to Watch and Act
By Shiloh Payne
EnergencyWA has released its latest warning, downgrading the bushfire alert to Watch and Act.
This is due to reduced fire activity and stable weather conditions.
But the warning advised that people in the area need to keep up to date in case the situation changes.
A community meeting will be held at 4pm today at the Donnybrook Recreation Centre.
You can keep across the warnings here.
Warnings of increasing frequency and severity of bushfires
By Shiloh Payne
Emergency departments have reportedly received more people with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
Here's an interview from News Breakfast this morning with Greg Mullins, who is a former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner.
Relentless wet weather in parts of Australia has created large fuel loads
By Bridget Judd
Australians who have been affected by prolonged wet weather caused by consecutive La Nina events are being warned not to dismiss the dangers of bushfires.
Long term forecasts issued by the Bureau of Meteorology suggest Australia could be about to enter a more prolonged period of hot and dry conditions.
Climate councilor and former NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins says the relentless wet weather has provided huge fuel loads.
"1975 after a triple La Nina there were 119 hectartes nationally because the red centre went green, then brown, then burned," he says.
"If we head into an El Nino pattern where it gets hot and dry, anything could happen."
Here's the latest bushfire warning
By Shiloh Payne
A new bushfire alert has been issued by Western Australia's authorities, but the advice remains the same as the earlier alert.
To reiterate:
An emergency bushfire warning is in place for people in the area bounded by Brookhampton Road to the north, South West Highway to the west, Kirup-Grimwade Road to the south and Thompson Brook Road to the south in:
- Thompson Brook
- Brookhampton
- Grimwade
- Kirup
- Mullalyup
- Newlands
- Noggerup
- Thomson Brook
- Upper Capel
Volunteer firefighters are on the ground near Brookhampton
By Shiloh Payne
Here's what it looks like:
How to stay informed during a bushfrie
By Shiloh Payne
Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services has put together this video to show you exactly where you need to look to find the latest emergency information.
To find your local ABC, you can search your postcode here.
Extra resources are being deployed to fight the Donnybrook fire
By Bridget Judd
The C130 Hercules Large Air Tanker, which is stationed at Busselton, has been brought in to fight the blaze.
"Crews are still working quite hard to build containment lines around the fire and we are hoping to update warnings in the near future," DFES Incident Controller Peter Thomas says.
"Luckily it's not a huge amount [of homes affected] at the moment. It's a small number of rural properties in the Thompson Brook area that it's impacting on."
The blaze kept firefighters busy overnight
By Bridget Judd
Annette Webster snapped this photo from her property in Donnybrook.
About 100 volunteer and Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters are battling the blaze.
Just tuning in? This is the current situation
By Bridget Judd
An emergency warning is in place for Brookhampton Road to the north, South West Highway to the west, Kirup-Grimwade Road to the south and Thompson Brook Road to the east in southern parts of Thomson Brook, Brookhampton, Grimwade, Kirup, Mullalyup, Newlands, Noggerup and Upper Capel.
🚒 What is happening?
- Firefighters are on the scene, actively fighting the fire
- The bushfire is moving in a westerly direction.
-
It is out of control and unpredictable.
🚧 What roads are closed?
- Thomson Brook Road is closed from Towers Road
- Brookhampton Road is closed from the Brookhampton Road and Thomson Brook intersection to the south
-
Brookhampton Road is closed from the South West Highway and Kirup-Grimwade Road intersection
👉What should you do?
-
Travel in a northerly direction on the South West Highway towards Donnybrook
-
Enact your Bushfire Survival Plan and stay/defend or leave
A total fire ban is in place for parts of WA
By Bridget Judd
The ban is in place for —
Midwest Gascoyne Region
- Carnamah
- Chapman Valley
- Coorow
- Dandaragan
- Greater Geraldton
- Irwin
- Mingenew
- Moora
- Morawa
- Northampton
- Perenjori- Three Springs- Victoria Plains
Perth Metropolitan Region
- Armadale
- Chittering
- Gingin
- Gosnells
- Kalamunda
- Mundaring
- Serpentine Jarrahdale
- Swan
Goldfields Midlands Region
- Beverley
- Cunderdin
- Dalwallinu
- Dowerin
- Goomalling
- Koorda
- Northam
- Quairading
- Tammin
- Toodyay
- Wongan Ballidu
- Wyalkatchem
- York
South West Region
- Collie
- Dardanup
- Harvey
- Murray
- Waroona
In WA's north, a major flood warning has been issued
By Bridget Judd
As firefighters in the state's South West battle the Donnybrook blaze, emergency services in northern WA are urging residents to take action now for major flooding in parts of the Kimberley.
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Donnybrook Recreation Centre
By Bridget Judd
Brendan Mooney, the Department of Communities regional executive director in the South West, says eight people used the facility overnight.
"There are a couple of family groups and another person. Some of those have now moved on, either to family [or] friends," he told ABC Radio Perth.
“It’s pretty quiet down there at the moment. I understand there’s one person there at the moment.
“The centre’s there for anyone in the affected area that needs it, but of course a lot of people will choose to stay with family and friends where they’ve got that option."
Mr Mooney says those coming to the evacuation centre should bring ID if possible, alongside essentials like medications and a phone charger.
"The other important thing is that we can’t have pets actually in the centre, so people should make some other arrangements for those wherever possible.”
This is how things are looking on the ground
By Bridget Judd
Candice Lavis shared these photos with ABC South West yesterday, which show smoke billowing in the distance.
As a reminder, an emergency warning has been issued for southern parts of Thomson Brook, Brookhampton, Grimwade, Kirup, Mullalyup, Newlands, Noggerup and Upper Capel in the Shire of Donnybrook.
Emergency services have been fighting the blaze since yesterday
By Bridget Judd
A watch and act alert is also in place in the South West
By Bridget Judd
It covers areas bounded by South West Highway to the east, Upper Capel Road to the west and south and Goldfields Road to the north in Brazier, Brookhampton, Kirup, Newlands and Upper Capel in the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup.
An additional bushfire watch and act is in place for people in an area bounded by Thomas Brook Road to the west, Preston Road to the east, Grimwade Road to the south and Forrest Road to the north in Grimwade, Kirup, Noggerup, Thomson Brook in the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup.
