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.
“The safest option for people in this area is always to leave early. Don’t wait until the last minute.
"Strong winds, cave systems and (lack of) access for machinery are making it incredibly difficult to control the bushfires and people need to listen to the warnings that are being placed."
More than 100 firefighters were reportedly deployed to tackle the blaze.
Klemm said anyone planning to travel to the Margaret River region from Perth should reconsider their plans. A warning was also issued advising people against travelling to the area for non-essential reasons.
