Dandaragan, Gingin residents urged to leave or prepare for fire

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services kept a watch and act alert in place on Sunday for parts of Dandaragan and Gingin Shires due to a bushfire, urging residents to leave or make preparations to defend their properties from the fire, while Brand Hwy remained closed between Dandaragan-West Road and Gingin Brook Road in Red Gully. DFES was advising people in the area who were not prepared or planned to leave to leave if the way was clear as there was a possible risk to lives and homes. The fire is stationary but is not contained or controlled. DFES was advising people who were well prepared or planned to actively defend their homes to make final preparations. The department warned they would need access to an independent water supply as mains water pressure could be affected. It warned people to close all doors and windows at all times and turn off evaporative air conditioners, but keep water running through the system if possible. People who were not at home should not not try to return as conditions in the area could be very dangerous, it said. People self-isolating or quarantining due to COVID-19 should leave and find alternative accommodation with family or friends, it said. People located south of the fire were advised to leave via Brand Highway towards Gingin. People located anywhere else should travel west to Indian Ocean Drive and then south towards Gingin. The area is bounded by Brand Highway to the east, Nammegarra Road to the north, Mimegarra Road and Cowalla Road to the west and from the intersection of Orange Springs Road and Nabaroo Road across to Marri Heights Road to the south. DFES was updating its Watch and Act alert for the area regularly as the situation developed. The fire initially started near the intersection of Mogumber Road West and Brand Hwy in Red Gully. DFES also issued a bushfire advice for parts of Nilgen and Lancelin due to smoke, warning residents to keep updated on the situation. Motorists were advised to drive slowly through the area with headlights and hazard lights on and wait for smoke to clear. DFES has asked people never fly a drone, model aircraft or multirotor near bushfires as doing so poses a major safety risk to firefighting personnel in the air and on the ground, and forces aircraft to be grounded or redirected, hindering firefighting efforts. During a power outage, DFES advised home phones, computers or other electronic devices connected to the NBN would not work and said people should include a battery powered radio in emergency kits. DFES will issue updates every two hours unless the situation changes. DFES has 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. Visit emergency.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter: twitter.com/dfes_wa, Facebook: facebook.com/dfeswa, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins for more information.