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Residents in Western Australia’s south-west were on high alert on Sunday as a fierce bushfire raged out of control.
At least one home was destroyed near Waroona with dozens of emergency crews battling a wall of flames.
Authorities are treating the blaze as suspicious.
The Sinclair family lost their holiday house of 30 years.
Their neighbours’ property along Nanga Bush Road was also in the firing line, but was spared.
The property belongs to celebrated bushfire scientist Kingsley Dixon.
Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said the situation was terrible.
“It’s peoples lives, it’s their memories,” he said.
The out-of-control blaze has torn through almost 2000 hectares.
Residents have been on standby to flee.
Emily Taffe said she moved animals to prepare.
“Last night we moved the horses out at about 10 and I’ve just picked up Mum because we’re just moving some more of them,” she said.
A total of 250 firefighters are tackling the blaze from the air and on the ground.
The ferocious flames are a frightening reminder for residents.
“There will be a level of anxiety, this town has been through this a few times, we had one in 2015, we had a bad one in 2016.” Walmsley said.
The blaze began just after 12pm on Saturday on Lane Poole Reserve.
The arson squad was called in with fears it is suspicious.
A reward of $25,000 is on offer to identify the culprit.
A number of residents last night took shelter at an evacuation hub.
The Murray Aquatic and Recreation Centre remained open on Sunday for residents still not out of the woods.
Police urged anyone with information, footage, or who may have seen anything from 11am to 1pm that day, to report it.
