Emergency Warning Issued as Bushfire Breaks Out East of Perth

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in Western Australia issued ‘an emergency warning’ after a bushfire broke out east of Perth in the Shire of York on January 15.

This clip, taken by Leanne Willoughby, shows large clouds of smoke and helicopters dropping water onto the fire.

“Everyone is being told that nothing was lost, but our friends lost everything,” Willoughby told Storyful. “Their house, sheds, cottage, everything. It’s very sad.”

Shire President Denese Smythe told local news that the fire was at a hobby farm just off the Great Southern Highway and that one home had been destroyed.

The DFES downgraded the emergency warning to a ‘watch and act’ order later that day, as local news reported that the fire was contained but not yet controlled. Credit: Leanne Willoughby via Storyful