8.00pm: That's it for the live blogging today, we've refreshed the homepage with a wrap-up of what has happened throughout the day. Remember, if you have any photos you'd like to share with us to add to our galleries, please feel free to email us on the above link. We'll be back with another live blog and other stories from the fire-affected area tomorrow Stay safe. 7.45pm: There were about 50 people stranded on the beach this afternoon, seven were rescued by jet-ski. Those that were picked up by jet-ski were taken to a sea and rescue boat offshore, then they were taken to Gracetown, then bussed into the Margaret River evacuation centre. They arrived at about 5.30pm. The rest were allowed to drive out in a convoy with fire and police vehicles at the front and rear. They travelled on Wallcliffe Road to Margaret River. They arrived at 6pm.

Barnett speaks to residents in fire zone Loud applause at a community centre to thank more than 400 fire-fighters battling a still raging blaze. "I think they might have heard that out at the fire and I hope they did," Premier Colin Barnett said at the beginning of his address to hundreds at the meeting. He urged residents to put their safety ahead of property in what he said was a precarious and extremely dangerous situation.

3.08pm: The managers/owners of Sea Gardens Cafe and Restaurant report on their facebook page that Rosa Brook, a town east of the fire zone, 'is on fire'. ''We are packing and leaving. Good luck everyone xxx''. Popular wineries including Xanadu and Leeuwin Estate have been closed until further notice to ensure no customers are at risk.

2.45pm: FESA's website is looking pretty busy at the moment.

2.38pm: Relief may be on the way ... the Bureau of Meteorology is expecting a cool change for Margaret River tomorrow. The bureau's climate and information officer John Relf said temperatures tomorrow would only reach 23 Celsius, compared to 32.9 Celsius today, followed by a top of 21C on Saturday and Sunday. Winds are also expected to change form a northerly/north-wester today to a sou-wester tomorrow. The emergency warning applies as far south as Redgate Road, east to Bussell Highway and north to Wallcliffe Road. Firies hope to contain the blaze south of Prevelly.

1.59pm: The fire seems to ramp up as a 100 square-kilometre area south-west of Margaret River is being evacuated, and the blaze is now burning in Prevelly, the DEC told the media scrum. The agency says the fire's development is very serious, with significant speeds of 2-3km/h. 1.41pm: The line to New Zealand became deafeningly silent when Lee Cummings told his friend authorities were 95 per cent certain her prized home near Margaret River had burned down in the still out-of-control bushfire.

"She's a tough nut so for her to go silent for 30 seconds was tragic," Mr Cummings said. The house, in Orchid Ramble, is believed to be unoccupied. His friend is living in New Zealand after spending years in Margaret River but is attempting to fly back as soon as possible to inspect the damage. 1.32pm: Several reports via Twitter that the fire has now crossed the mouth of the Margaret River. Still awaiting official confirmation but doesn't sound good. If it's true, many more homes are likely to be under threat. 1.26pm: Mirambeena Aged Care Facility in Margaret River has been evacuated this afternoon. Premier Colin Barnett is due to arrive at 2pm, and there will be another community meeting held at the Margaret River Cultural Centre at 3pm.

1.18pm: The latest update from FESA: A bushfire emergency warning remains in place for people in the Kilcarnup subdivision, Prevelly and Wallcliffe subdivisions and the area north of Wallcliffe Road and east of Caves Road. An evacuation has occurred in the following areas: south of Burnside Road, north of Harrington Road (also called Exmoor Road), west of Umberto, Kevill, Sandpit and Boodjidup Road. FESA are advising people in this area that it is too late to leave, and they need to take shelter in their homes and actively defend their properties. A bushfire watch and act has been issued for people in the greater fire area, including the localities of Ellensbrook, north-east of Kilcarnup, south of Prevelly and east of Caves Road. 1.07pm: Police now believe up to 350 school leavers may be affected by the fire, and are urging them to make other arrangements.

The Geographe Bay Tourism Association is assisting leavers in finding alternative accommodation, contact them via email or on 9752 5800 for more information. Rottnest Island also has bookings available for leavers at short notice, contact 9432 9111 for information. About 8000 leavers travelling to Dunsborough or other South West locations for celebrations this weekend can still travel as planned. 12.49pm: Roleystone Senior High School has been evacuated as a fire burns out of control in the City of Gosnells this afternoon. Sergeant Graham Clifford said the school was evacuated only as a precautionary measure.

12.45pm: Troy Buswell, Member for Vasse, which covers the affected area, is in Margaret River to "offer support to the community" and feed information back to the state government. He spoke to a man who had stayed to defend his home but saw those around him burn down.

"His story was harrowing," Mr Buswell said. "There are some questions that the community are rightly posing that in due course we'll have to answer. I don't think today is the day to answer those questions." Mr Buswell said the response had been "excellent" and lessons learnt from the devastating Perth Hills bushfire were being applied now. 12.38pm: Two more fires have been declared out of control around the state, with six homes in Martin, in the City of Gosnells currently under threat.

The fire is burning between Versteeg Grove and Feldts Road, and residents are being urged to evacuate in the immediate vicinity. FESA have also warned of a fire that broke containment lines near Denmark. 12.15pm: More sobering tales from the frontline as John Bradbury tells ABC radio of his family's fortunate escape from the fire. "I grabbed the dog and left when I saw the smoke spearing at the top of a ridge a kilometre away," Mr Bradbury said. "I'm glad I did because about two hours later I got told about our house just exploding into flames." A philosophical Mr Bradbury vows the family will "build again".

11.45am: Lee Cummings is about to make the hardest phone call of his life. He has to tell his friend, who is in New Zealand, that her prized home is believed to be burned down. "We drove through (the area where her house is) last night ... there was still full on fires burning," Mr Cummings said. "The corner where her house is didn't look good.'' When Mr Cummings spoke to his friend this morning she had woken to text messages from concerned friends but there had not yet been confirmation her house was damaged. "She didn't know anything," Mr Cummings said.

"She's obviously pretty devastated." 11.40am: Former West Coast Eagles star Dean Kemp and celebrity chef Ian Parmenter were among hundreds of locals and stranded tourists at this morning's community meeting. A Lord Mayor's Distress Relief fund has now been activated. 11.27am: Roger Armstrong, DEC's incident controller told ABC Radio that an evacuation has been ordered for people in a rural subdivision north of the Margaret River as the bushfire front continues to move. He said FESA and DEC would be evacuating residents about four to five kilometres ahead of the frontline as the blaze continues to move with the north north-easterly winds.

He said the subdivision, north of Harrington Road, south of Burnside Road, west of Sandpit Road and Boodjidup Roads was the next to be evacuated as a precaution, and said they were in no immediate danger. Winds in the area are currently about 40km/h, with gusts up to 60km/h. 11.04am: The Premier and FESA chief Wayne Gregson are rushing to the fire zone. They are catching a flight to Busselton and are expected to arrive in Margaret River around lunchtime. 10.58am: Premier Colin Barnett said that those who lost their homes in the Margaret River bushfire will receive an immediate $3000 compensation from the state government. Those whose properties were damaged in the fire will get $1000.

The cash will be to provide relief in the short term to those left homeless. Mr Barnett said he would wait for a full inquiry into the fire before making any comment on who was to blame. 10.50am: Augusta-Margaret River Shire president Ray Colyer sums up the mood at a community meeting. "Make no mistake this could be a major emergency," he says, noting that the Margaret River township remained at risk if "things don't go right." Mr Colyer promises hourly updates today after information was scant yesterday. 10.45am: Prevelly Park remains the area about which authorities are most concerned. DEC incident controller Roger Amstrong said the fire was 80 per cent contained but if winds changed, there was a significant risk for communities west of Margaret River. 10.34am: Premier Colin Barnett is about to address the media in West Leederville on the current situation in the emergency bushfire situation in the south-west. State Housing and Transport Minister Troy Buswell is at the community meeting in Margaret River, which is in his electorate of Vasse.

10.24am: 6PR Radio has reported that those who lost their homes are having one-on-one talks with DEC and FESA representatives at the community meeting which is currently underway. Augusta-Margaret River Shire president Ray Colyer has told the crowd at the meeting that today will be "challenging" and that there will be another community briefing at 3pm today. 10.18am: A community meeting is currently underway at the Margaret River Cultural Centre. The crowd is spilling out of the centre as hundreds of people attempt to get the latest information. DEC incident controller Roger Armstrong is currently addressing the crowd, who are voicing their frustrations at the lack of information. Residents are shouting out for information on road closures and how many homes have been lost. Mr Armstrong has told the crowd that "we're not out of the woods here today" and that Prevelly Park was still the main concern for firefighters.

10.15am: Local transport company Veolia Transport WA will be taking donations of food and clothing from people in Busselton and Bunbury to those affected by the bushfires in Margaret River, this Saturday. The coaches will be parked at Mitchell Park in Queen Street, Busselton and in front of the Bunbury Visitor Centre near Centrepoint from 9am to 12 noon, before departing to drive to drop off the donations in Margaret River that day. They will also stop at Darby Park Serviced Apartments in Margaret River to collect more goods before being dropped off at the Margaret River Cultural Centre. Goods should be non perishable and clothing, and can include blankets, towels and sheets. For more details about the 'Stuff the Bus' appeal contact Lisa Shreeve on 9753 7712 or go to www.southwestcoachlines.com.au

9.58am: In a press conference just held at the Margaret River oval, the Department of Environment and Conservation denied responsibility for the devastating bushfire. Incident controller Roger Armstrong said the prescribed burn that had led to the present disaster started on September 6, with 60 burns undertaken in the past month. "I want to reinforce with you that we did not ignite a prescribed burn on a serious fire danger day," incident controller Roger Armstrong said. Angry residents remain with a lot of unanswered questions.

9.55am: Embarrassing tweet from Tourism Margaret River offering accommodation deals in the region ravaged by fire. Automated, but still embarrassing. Read more

9.45am: Guitars signed by Cold Chisel along with band memorabilia will be auctioned off to the highest bidder as a fundraiser for those devastated by the Margaret River bushfires. The concert has been confirmed by Sandalford Wines chief executive Grant Brinklow as "absolutely going ahead" and said he hoped concertgoers would dig deep for the fundraiser. Mr Brinklow told ABC Radio that signed instruments and memorabilia would be among items sold on Saturday night at the sold out show at the Margaret River winery. "We're asking people to bring a few extra dollars and throw them into the shaker cans on the day," he said. "I think we can do some good."

He said the coming days would be "sobering" and just hoped they could raise enough money to help those who lost their homes. Twelve thousand people will be heading to the concert on Saturday night. 9.35am: Wayne Gregson, chief executive at FESA confirms on ABC Radio that so far 10 homes, nine cottages and five sheds have been completely destroyed, and two more homes have been badly damaged. He said the fire was between 85 and 90 per cent under control, but that this meant that overall it was still out of control. "Prevelly is under threat. Our focus is on Prevelly in terms of homes and people," he told ABC Radio. "At this stage, we think that we have no loss of live or injury."

He said he had "significant resources" at the scene ahead of blustery winds expected to hit the South-West this afternoon. 9.14am: School leavers who have lost their accommodation due to the Margaret River fires are being warned not to try bunking in with friends without first checking with accommodation providers. The Department of Environment and Conservation, which is co-ordinating the fire response, said the 140 leavers who were planning to stay at the Prevelly Park Caravan Park would not be able to have their celebrations there. 8.48am: A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said the temperature at Margaret River was currently 28 degrees, with humidity at 25 per cent.

The spokesman said the winds were currently north north-easterly up to 30km/h with gusts up to 35km/h. He said that during the day the winds would be about 40km/h with gusts up to 60km/h, changing to north north-westerly through the afternoon. The Bureau has forecast a maximum temperature of 30 degrees for Margaret River today. 8.34am: At the evacuation centre, donations of food, blankets and clothes are coming in thick and fast with boxes of goods now being delivered and piled up inside the centre.

The influx of goodwill has taken community volunteers by surprise as they now battle to organise all the boxes and answer queries from those who still don't know if they've lost everything. 8.31am: With thousands expected to head to the Margaret River region for Saturday night's Cold Chisel concert, Sandalford Wines and a local wine tour business are pulling together a fundraiser to run at the event. @MargaretRvrWine tweeted that "We r working on a high impact immediate fundraising idea".

Sandalford Wines said on their Facebook page that "the concert will be proceeding notwithstanding the tragic events of the last 24 hours associated with the Margaret River bushfires. "Plans are currently being considered to use the concert as a vehicle for raising funds for those most in need as we did at the Sting concert earlier this year." 8.12am: The wind is picking up in the town centre of Margaret River as trucks carrying excavators are signalled through the roadblocks, on their way to make more fire breaks. Breakfast has just been served, many of the tourists who have been evacuated from the hostel are tucking into bacon and egg sandwiches and iced coffee. Schools in the area are said to be open today so some parents are running around getting kids organised.

"You're going to school. At least you'll be safe there," one mother told her young daughter. 8.08am: Great website here which has a summary of Western Australian bushfires since 1925. 7.46am: River residents taking in evacuees

Tourists Peter and Sigrid Burath unexpectedly became caught up in the bushfire yesterday when they were cut off from their accommodation in Prevelly. The Perth couple were sightseeing but attempted to return when they became fearful the blaze was serious, only to be turned away at a road block. "It was a good mood (in the centre) but for some who found out their homes were lost... I was very upset,'' Mrs Burath. Throughout Margaret River town residents were taking in evacuees, setting up mattresses in lounge rooms, tents in backyards and barbecues for dinner. 7.42am: Britons John and Linda Cashan, who are holidaying in the Gnarabup area with their one-year-old granddaughter, were evacuated as they were just sitting down to enjoy their barbecue dinner. They were forced to leave immediately, leaving behind their mobile phones, wallets and Linda's glasses. They are scheduled to return home to the UK on Monday.

7.37am: Man survives in his pool with scuba diving gear In one of the most remarkable survival strategies, a resident tells how one of his friends geared up with a oxygen bottle and jumped into his pool as he saw the fire approaching. Mitch Thorson (see below entry) said his friend had stayed at his property in an attempt to defend it but the fierce blaze eventually became too much. "He put his tank on and jumped in his pool; that's how he survived as it went over the top," Mr Thorson said.

Mr Thorson, who is a well known real estate agent in the area, can see a lot of spot fires in the area and said the danger clearly was not yet over.

7.33am: The Insurance Council of Australia has declared an insurance catastrophe for the bushfires currently burning around Margaret River. Chief executive Rob Whelan said it was too early to quantify the damage caused by the fires, but expected it to be in the tens of millions of dollars. He said those who had lost or damaged properties would only need their name and address to locate a policy, and should not be concerned about insurance documents. The ICA hotline is 1300 444 557.

7.31am: Margaret River resident Mitch Thorson is in Prevelly and can see what he believes is the wreckage of his friend's house on Woodich Road, in the worst affected area. "I'm looking through some trees at what used to be a really good mate of mine's house, which is disappointing," he said. "It's a collapsed wreckage. It's all burnt out right where his house was and either side of it the trees are green. "It's quite bizarre because 100 yards from his house there's another house but it's standing." 7.19am: Our colleagues at the Augusta Margaret River Mail are updating the story as well, and they have information for school leavers. Last night the Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said leavers would not be able to access Margaret River caravan and tourist parks until further notice.



7.12am: About 50 locals, holidays-makers and families have spent the night at the evacuation centre in Margaret River last night. After a heated community meeting held by the DEC late yesterday, many are still confused and angry at how this controlled burn got so out of control. Judy from Roleystone, who was evacuated from the Prevelly Caravan Park, has just woken up and said it was the scariest and most surreal thing she'd ever seen. She was a part of the recent Harley Owners Group rally who decided to stay in the area for an extended holiday.

"I've never seen so many men wearing leather jackets drink so much tea and coffee," she said. Many locals are outraged at how the fire spread and are now preparing for another community briefing at 10am. The DEC will address the media at 9am. 7.05am: Jenna Clarke reports from the evacuation centre that ''it's still pretty sleepy'', with dozens of people resting, many of them still uncertain whether they have lost their homes in the fires.

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