Yarloop Fire Disaster – 100 Homes Lost
Some 100 homes have been burned to the ground in a fire disaster south of Perth, in one of the biggest disasters in WA’s history.
The Yarloop fire has devastated the small community 120 km south of Perth as high winds and temperatures created the worst conditions possible.
WA Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson said there was massive devastation.
“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, and an impact at 70 per cent on the demountable component of the local school, also losses to post offices, adjacent stores and our own bushfire fire station infrastructure,” Gregson said.
Three people are missing, Gregson said.
A local resident told Coast radio much of the town was gone.
“I believe the museum is gone, the old hospital, most of the houses, there’s probably only about 10 houses left, the post office survived, the hotel’s gone, the bowling club is survived,” he said.
Here’s what the fire looked like last night from professional photographer Mike Griffin.
View from mine looking South last night around 10.15pm. Hope all are safe down there… #Yarloop #WaroonaFire pic.twitter.com/TyDsFrW8qm
— Mark Griffin (@JacarandaPhoto) January 7, 2016
95 homes confirmed lost in #Yarloop. Tragic. @7NewsPerth #perthnews
— Amelia Broun (@ameliabroun7) January 8, 2016
Yarloop: 3 people unaccounted for. 95 homes destroyed by fire. https://t.co/eTkX17Bknu @geofparry7 #Yarloop
https://t.co/BFTQUNdAfU
— 7 News Perth (@7NewsPerth) January 8, 2016
First pictures of property loss in Yarloop from the Channel 7 helicopter.
https://t.co/2yYfPjmbFh
— 7 News Perth (@7NewsPerth) January 7, 2016
View from mine looking South last night around 10.15pm. Hope all are safe down there… #Yarloop #WaroonaFire pic.twitter.com/TyDsFrW8qm
— Mark Griffin (@JacarandaPhoto) January 7, 2016
My brother's little family has possibly lost his house in the #Yarloop bushfire, Mother Nature is a bitch sometimes
— ~ Savvy ~ (@ASavvyReality) January 8, 2016
Devastated for #Yarloop residents. "Very little left" – resident confirms MORE https://t.co/Ltvs7eU4qb #WaroonaFire pic.twitter.com/dFVgnbVzJ3
— Catherine Botman (@cat_botman) January 7, 2016
DFES Commissioner – "Catastrophic" damage to #Yarloop overnight. 95 homes gone 3 ppl missing. Most of town destroyed #perthnews #WaroonaFire
— Catherine Botman (@cat_botman) January 8, 2016
Cooler conditions and rain will help efforts in the SW
This is so welcome right now ☔️#WaroonaFire pic.twitter.com/4qs8ILoMTq
— Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) January 8, 2016
Updates from ABC News WA
