Firefighters have the upper hand in battling the raging blazes threatening coastal areas, but authorities have warned harsh weather conditions will test their defenses.
The Dundaraganshire bushfire, about 170km north of Perth, has cut off evacuation routes and burned more than 70,000 hectares of bushland since it started in a fatal car crash on Monday.
Residents in the fishing villages of Gray and Wedge and the town of Cervantes remain under red alert, with authorities saying it is too late to evacuate.
The fire has tripled in size since Wednesday and residents must continue to evacuate to survive, Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” he told reporters Friday.
“We are experiencing severe weather conditions today and throughout the weekend.
“Thankfully, there are no reports of property loss or loss of life.”
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Clem said it had been an “incredibly tough” week.
“The fire is about 3 kilometers away.” [Cervantes]” he said.
“Containment lines remain strong in Cervantes and the Wedge, while dunes protect the community of Gray.”
He said a backburn overnight burned off a large amount of fuel and firefighters continued to strengthen containment lines.
“Crews are using all available means to suppress this fire, but conditions remain extremely difficult,” Klemm said.
He said little rain was expected and thunderstorms could cause lightning strikes and further fires.
A red alert remains in place for parts of Wedge Island, Gray Island, Cervantes Island, Nambun Island and Coeur Jalou Island.
Approximately 37 Wedge and Gray residents chose to remain in the area as the fire burned roads in and around the village.
Many others, including some of Cervantes' 500 residents, fled north before Thursday's fire cut off evacuation routes.
Dundarragn Shire president Tony O'Gorman said some Gray residents were rescued by boat from the beach on Thursday.
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“Our fishing boat [in Jurien Bay to the north] And then our marine rescue team went down to sea and got them off the beach. “It's too dangerous to leave them there,” he told ABC News.
According to the Fire and Emergency Services Agency, the wildfire is moving west and is out of control.
More than 200 firefighters are working to extinguish the fire.
Two large air tankers from eastern states joined the fight against the blaze on Thursday.
Portions of Indian Ocean Drive and several surrounding roads are closed to traffic in the area.
The Jurien Bay Sports and Recreation Center refuge has reopened, but Nambung National Park remains closed.
A community meeting will be held at the facility late Friday.
Temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s over the next few days, with strong winds expected.
Residents along the Ashburton coast have been warned to prepare for extreme fire conditions on Sunday.
