Australian authorities say dozens of residents have been evacuated and at least 10 homes have been destroyed by a wildfire that's burning out of control during heat wave spring conditions on the northern fringe of the west coast city of Perth.
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Dozens of residents have been evacuated and at least 10 homes destroyed by a wildfire burning out of control on the northern fringe of the west coast city of Perth during heat wave spring conditions, authorities said Thursday.
There were no deaths reported, but several firefighters had sustained minor injuries including smoke inhalation, Western Australia state Department of Fires and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said.
The fire began Wednesday afternoon in a pine tree plantation on Perth’s northeast edge and was fanned overnight by 60-kilometer (37-mile) -an-hour winds, incident controller Clinton Kuchel said.
Around 130 people spent Wednesday night in an evacuation center, Western Australia Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said.
In the northern Perth suburb of Tapping, Sarah Kilian and her husband stayed to defend their home over Wednesday night.
Scores of wildfires have recently raged across the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania as Australia’s driest September on record and unusually warm weather brought an early start to the annual wildfire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
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