Margaret River volunteer firefighters point to Cervantes blaze as warning for summer

Volunteer firefighters have pleaded with residents to take this year’s bushfire season seriously.

Posting on social media, fireys pointed to the Cervantes bushfire north of Perth as an example of what could go wrong and the scale of disaster possible outside of metropolitan WA.

A Wallcliffe Fire Services Brigade spokesperson cited “some truly frightening imagery and statistics coming out of the Cervantes fire this week”.

“Over 70,000ha burnt with a 50km fire front and a fire scar almost the size of the entire Perth metropolitan area,” they said.

“We’ve only just entered the summer bushfire season and fire authorities are predicting a bad year ahead.

“We can’t say this enough: take 15 minutes today to create your bushfire plan, and if you already have one, practise it with your family.

“This could very well be the summer we face a major fire. Prepare now to protect what matters most.”

Authorities were also on alert due to an extended dry spell last summer that stretched into autumn.

Although Bureau of Meteorology reported significant rainfall during winter, fears remained some bush areas would become dangerously dry quicker as a result.