Australia: Out-of-control bushfire triggers evacuation order in Perth

Sydney, April 3 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) An out-of-control bushfire burning in the suburbs of Perth, the capital city of Australia’s state of Western Australia (WA), has prompted an emergency evacuation warning.

Residents of parts of the suburb of Ferndale, 10 km southeast of central Perth, were on Thursday morning advised to leave immediately due to the threat posed by a nearby fire, reports Xinhua news agency.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” a warning issued by the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) shortly before 7 a.m. local time said.

“If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place. Do not wait and see; leaving at the last minute could put your life in danger.”

It advised residents to leave the area in a westerly direction and to take emergency kits with them.

The warning urged people who could not leave to immediately take shelter in a room with running water and a clear exit.

“You must shelter before the fire arrives, as the extreme heat will kill you before the flames reach you,” it said.

It said that the fire was moving slowly in a northwest direction along the nearby Canning River, but burning embers would likely be blown around residents’ homes.

The DFES said that anyone who becomes stuck in a car should park away from bushes, cover themselves in a woolen blanket and get onto the floor of the vehicle.

The fire was first reported shortly after 4 a.m. local time in a conservation park along the river.

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