(AU ABC) Bushfires, Dry Lightning, Rapid Spark And Spread All Indicate Climate Change, Southern Fire Chief Says

ABC Great Southern - Peter Barr | John Dobson

WA's south coast has had several major bushfires in the past week including this near Bremer Bay. (Supplied: Jesse Gread)

Key Points 14 bushfires were sparked during severe thunderstorm in southern Western Australia The regional fire chief handling those fires said climate change was exacerbating conditions At least three homes were lost in most recent bushfires

It was early Friday afternoon when Great Southern District DFES Superintendent Wayne Green took a phone call about a small fire sparked by lightning near Hopetoun on Western Australia's south coast.

"By all accounts, all the feedback and information at that point was they were wrapping it up and getting around it," he said.

"But within five minutes the phone's rung again as a gust of wind had picked up the fire and put it on the other side of the road and it raced straight into town.

DFES superintendent for the Great Southern, Wayne Green. (ABC Great Southern: Kyle Pauletto)

Superintendent Green said the fire became "absolute chaos" for volunteers attempting to protect the town.

That fire and 13 others were sparked by severe thunderstorms which hit the region after temperatures surpassed 44 degrees Celsius in some areas.

The hot and dry conditions, lightning, and gusty wind were a perfect cocktail for disastrous fire conditions.

At least three homes were lost in the bushfires in Jerramungup and Hopetoun on Friday.

Those fires were two of three emergency bushfires burning in the area, along with another further north near Newdegate.

One of several homes destroyed by a bushfire in Hopetoun on Friday. (Facebook: Tamunoibifiri Ibinabobo)

A week of destructive fires It came a week after a major bushfire tore through another area of Superintendent Green's district, bush and farmland near the tourist town of Denmark further west on the south coast.

That fire destroyed four homes and was followed by two more destructive bushfires in Bridgetown and Corrigin a day later, stretching fire fighting resources across the southern half of the state.

The fires on Friday were sparked by lightning with the Bureau of Meteorology recording tens of thousands of strikes across the region.

Superintendent Green said the bushfires were exacerbated by climate change.

"That's definite," he said.

"We've seen the change in our fire behaviour over the last few years."

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In just 2 hours, 68 new incidents arose - most of which were fires sparked by an intense series of lightning strikes. Many of those were in our Great Southern region, with several escalating rapidly to emergency warning level.

Firefighters responded swiftly, defending lives and property as the fires were fanned by strong winds gusting over 100km/hr in high temperatures. Their efforts in Hopetoun, Newdegate, Jerramungup and Bremer Bay (assisted by a Large ...

See more

Superintendent Green said Friday's bushfires sparked and spread rapidly.

"At its peak, we had 14 fires going and trying to get information from 14 different fires, all within a short time frame, is almost impossible," he said.

"I don't want to use the word 'unprecedented' but I can't remember when we've had this many fires from the Wheatbelt down."

"The thing about these [fires] was their proximity to town. We've certainly had this volume of fires before in the landscape … but it was the location of these fires that put a strain on local resources."

Superintendent Green praised the volunteer fire fighters in Jerramungup and Hopetoun.

"To see their towns overrun by fire, to get their community all in one location and keep them safe, reassured, and then get us the right information that we need, puts our minds at ease.

At least two homes were lost in the Hopetoun fire on Friday. (Supplied: Brady Wilson)

Freak storm leaves trail of destruction The storm which sparked the series of fires on Friday produced wind gusts of more than 100kph, damaging property in Hopetoun.

Ravensthorpe shire president Keith Dunlop said authorities were still assessing the damage.

"There were 10 properties damaged by fire, three lost roofs separately due to wind gusts," he said.

The entire roof was blown off the McLeod's property near Hopetoun. (Supplied: Ian and Michelle McLeod)

Ian and Michelle McLeod's property lost its roof during a damaging gust of wind.

Mr McLeod likened the storm to a cyclone.

"I've been in a category 5 cyclone up north, it felt like that," he said.

"It felt like a train had drove over our house … then the whole roof lifted off and went. It was scary."

The changing nature of bushfires

Firefighters are being forced to adapt to changing bushfire behaviour, as relentless winds and dry conditions mean they have less reprieve at night to get on top of out-of-control blazes. Read more

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Luke Huntington said a trough sparked the thunderstorms on Friday afternoon as temperatures passed 44 degrees.

Mr Huntington said the intense thunderstorms created thousands of lightning strikes.

"We don't see a lot of storms over the southern half of WA and if we do, they're dry thunderstorms that kick off fires," he said.

Several online fundraising pages have been started for those who have suffered property damage.


Youtube How to prepare for bushfires | Emergency Tips 3min 11sec

Links

• Residents on edge, homes feared lost as bushfire ravages WA's south coast
• Homes, buildings destroyed as bushfires tear through Western Australia
• WA bushfires linked to climate change as at least five homes lost
• At least three homes razed by fire after 'intense' series of lightning strikes hit WA's Great Southern region
• Emergency warnings downgraded for WA fires as 'changing climate' blamed for fuelling blazes
• Reprieve for Denmark after at least five properties lost in dangerous blazes in WA's south
• WA bushfires destroy property and livestock