Raging bushfire closes Brand Highway

Brand Highway has been closed near Gingin and residents urged to evacuate due to a raging bushfire.

A bushfire advice has also been placed for people travelling along Indian Ocean Drive in part of Red Gully near Gingin.

DFES has advised motorists to avoid the area and be aware of fire and emergency services personnel working on site.

A bushfire emergency warning was issued at 2.24pm for people north of Dandaragan-West Road, south of Marri Heights Road, east of Brand Highway and west of Sapper Road in Red Gully in the Shire of Gingin.

The fire, which was reported at 9.33am near the intersection of Mogumber Road West and Brand Highway, was declared a threat to lives and homes, with residents urged to act immediately to survive.

The bushfire has continued to move fast in a westerly direction and is out of control and unpredictable.

A bushfire watch and act was put in place for people north of Dandaragan-West Road, south of Marri Heights Road, west of Sapper Road and east of KW Road, with those residents warned to also evacuate if they were not prepared to actively defend their homes.

Brand Highway from Gingin-Brook Road to Dandaragan-West Road, as well as Mogumber West Road, have been closed in both directions.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services first issued a bushfire emergency warning at 11.50am for people north of Marri Heights Road, south of Dandaragan-West Road and east of Cowalla Road in Red Gully

They have also waned the public never to fly a drone, model aircraft or multi-rotor near bushfires as it posed a major safety risk to firefighting personnel in the air and on the ground and would force aircraft to be grounded or redirected, hindering firefighting efforts.

DFES will issue updates every hour unless the situation changes.