Tourists and locals were urged to leave Margaret River immediately after an “extremely serious” fire ripped through the Leeuwin-Naturaliste national park and burnt through more than 3,200 hectares. A second blaze was also fought in nearby Yallingup.
A total of 6,000 hectares of land is now thought to have been affected.
The Fire and Emergency Services commissioner, Darren Klemm, told the Guardian that the fire was "spreading fast in multiple directions" with hot, dry and windy conditions expected to continue into the evening.
"The situation in this area is extremely serious," he said. "A number of properties are under threat on or about Caves Road.
