EMERGENCY warnings have been issued for seven suburbs on the outskirts of Perth as the western capital is engulfed by flames.

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Local coverage at PerthNow

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Click here to see all FESA warnings

Fire-affected regions in the Perth hills declared natural disaster areas

59 homes lost and 28 damaged

Residents have been evacuated. Dozens of buildings destroyed. At least 12 people taken to hospital. No deaths reported.



4.51pm An aerial view of a bridge along the Brookton Highway, destroyed by fire.

Picture credit: Alf Sorbello

4.31pm 59 homes have now been destroyed by bushfires around Perth, and 28 damaged, Sky News reports.

4:08pm This image from Roleystone show the destructive power of the fires sweeping across Perth.

Picture: Alf Sorbello

3.29pm More than 100 firefighters and 50 trucks have been drawn from across the state including Bunbury, Albany, Northam and Geraldton as well as 21 firefighters from Victoria who will assist in incident control.

The Victorian government will also provide two helitanks to join two others already in the air.

3.22pm Although the bushfire in Roleystone is mostly contained it is still the greatest concern, says Fire and Emergency Services Authority state co-ordinator Mal Cronstedt.

"It's very complex, very hilly and poses inordinate problems for fire fighters in both assessing the fire and fighting the fire itself," Mr Cronstedt said.

"It was a herculean effort by firefighters in that area to contain it to the 800 hectares," he said.

"That's a moving beast and it will require a huge effort today to put in a fire line completely around the fire and ensure it's as safe as practically possible.

"This will continue for some time and I expect the effort in Roleystone will go for many days yet."

2.59pm Anyone trying to re-enter the fire area before the all-clear is given by fire crews will be arrested, Police Superintendent Daryl Thornton told WA Today.

2.47pm Kelmscott resident Lionel Goodall tells Perth Now of defending his home from the fires.

"I was walking around bare foot. They’ve been on red hot ashes,’’ he said looking at his feet. "But I’m OK. I was up the back of the house fighting the fires. It came through that quick. One minute it was about a mile and a half up the Brookton Highway and by the time I got to the house, it was in the backyard.

Read the rest of the story here.

2.22pm Experts have responded to the natural disasters affecting regions right across Australia. David Bowman, Professor of Forest Ecology in the School of Plant Science at the University of Tasmania says - while appearing "perverse" - floods, storms and bushfires occuring at the same time is simply "characteristic of this tough old land."

"The key issue is Australians need to come to accept that these natural challenges are part of the deal of living in Australia - we still need to learn how to adapt to these challenges and recognise the environment is shaping us as much as we are shaping the environment.”

Mr David Bruce, from the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), says the current fires are consistent with the national bushfire forecast released last October, as south-west Western Australia has had its driest winter on record, after years of drought.

"So even with some good rain in recent months it was only going to take a blast of hot summer weather and wind to bring back conditions where serious bushfires can occur."

2.11pm The bushfire situation remain out of control, but is "clearly a lot better than it was yesterday" said Premier Colin Barnett.

Mr Barnett expressed sympathy for Perth hills residents affected by the bushfire and said "the stress, the trauma of this will go on for some time."

He said it had been heartening to see most residents had followed advice from fire fighters and opted to leave their homes.

"That would be a very difficult thing to do; hard to imagine," the premier said.

"A result of that good sense and proper management of this serious fire is that there has been no loss of life and that's something we should all be thankful for."

2.03pm This photograph sent in by a reader shows the damage left in the Perth hills region after the bushfire. A car has been gutted by fire, but the attached trailer and the house appear untouched.

Picture: Nancy McDonald

1.47pm Donations can be made at any Bankwest branch to the newly launched Perth Hills Bushfire appeal.

The Department for Child Protection has asked people to please not send household items or clothes to evacuation centres as they now have plenty.

1.44pm Fire-affected regions of the Perth hills are now a natural disaster area.

Premier Colin Barnett said residents who had lost homes were now eligible for $3000 payments, or $1000 if their property had suffered significant damage.

The natural disaster declaration means that residents can also receive funds through the WA Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements initiative.

1.36pm Some roads closed by the fire threat have now reopened, including Toodyay Road in Red Hill and the Great Northern Highway in Upper Chittering.

The Brookton Highway remains closed. The Buckingham Bridge, which forms part of Brookton Highway, has sustained extensive damage from the fires, which may result in the stretch of highway being impassable for up to three weeks.

1.16pm Western Power says more than 1600 homes are without power in the area, with power switched off for safety but poles down as well.

Dozens of people were taken to Armadale Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation yesterday and a firefighter who was hospitalised after being hit by a vehicle was this morning in a stable condition.

1.09pm Many evacuated residents of Kelmscott and Roleystone in Perth's east are anxiously waiting at police roadblocks for an all-clear but some don't know if they have homes to go back to.

Helen Linden left her house around midday on Sunday and doesn't know if it's still standing, with police not allowing residents back in until firefighters declare it safe.

She got out with her laptop, passport and dogs and was waiting anxiously for the all-clear near the Kelmscott Primary School which has been closed for the day because of the fire danger.

"It's not knowing, if you could just get up there and have a look," she said as helicopter water bombers flew overhead into the smoke.

"It's a shock, you feel numb. You can deal with trauma if you know what it is."

12.55pm An investigation by FESA, police and Western Power determined that a bushfire raging out of control near Brigadoon started when high winds caused a tree branch to come into contact with electrical transmission infrastructure.

Initial investigations have determined a blaze in Kelmscott was accidental caused by a person using a grinder.

12.44pm Local volunteer Amamda Culver lends a hand at an evacuation centre set up at the Armadale Arena in South Eastern Hill Region of Perth.

Picture credit: Richard Polden / Perth Now

12.32pm Authorities are worried up to 60 properties in the City of Armadale region will be devastated. Fierce winds are hindering the fight against the rapidly spreading bushfires. The Bureau of Meteorology predict the winds will not ease until later this afternoon.

12.09pm Cyclone Yasi, which last week devastated Queensland, is believed to be partly to blame for Perth's raging bushfires, the West Australian reports.

The low pressure system left over from cyclone Yasi clashed with a high pressure system in southern WA, causing the wind gusts that fanned the bushfires, Weather Bureau duty forecaster Austen Watkins said.

"The pressure gradient is strengthening the winds more than usual."

12.01pm FESA has released an emergency bushfire warning for homes east of Campersic Road in Brigadoon, Baskerville, Millendon, Red Hill and Herne Hill in the City of Swan. See the full warning here.

11.33am It's 8.33am in Perth right now and there are about 200 firefighters and at least two helicopters trying to contain the blaze at Roleystone.

A volunteer firefighter who was injured yesterday is in a stable condition at Armadale Hospital. It was earlier reported he may have been hit by a fire truck.

11.16am Authorities say 41 houses in the Roleystone area have been destroyed so far, and 19 damaged. The number is expected to increase.

This picture, taken yesterday by The Australian photographer Colin Murty, shows one of those homes being gutted by flames.

Helicopters and fire crews are battling two major blazes to the northeast and southeast of the city.

Authorities believe 40 buildings have already been destroyed and they are bracing for more damage.

"The 40 (buildings) is expected to be revised upwards in the light of day," said WA Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) regional coordinator John McMillan this morning.

The destroyed buildings include homes, sheds and carports. The Buckingham Bridge on Brookton Highway has also been destroyed.

Click here to see all FESA warnings

Mr McMillan said the two largest fire fronts remained out of control and unpredictable, with the blaze near Roleystone spreading in numerous directions at a speed of 100m per hour.

"Our struggle will remain until we get some respite in these unusual weather conditions," he said on ABC Radio.

"It's just the strength of the easterly winds. They were at damaging strength two days ago and they have maintained the consistency."

There have been no reports of deaths so far.

At least 12 people have been taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation. A firefighter was also taken to hospital. It is believed he was hit by a fire truck near Roleystone.

"We haven't had loss of life. We are grateful for that but certainly there's a lot of trauma that goes with it," Mr McMillan said.

FESA emergency warnings have been issued for the suburbs of Roleystone, Kelmscott, Brigadoon, Baskerville, Millendon, Red Hill and Herne Hill.

Evacuation centres have been set up near both major fires and hundreds of residents have already evacuated.

Reporter on the ground as residents evacuate

Many roads have been closed in those areas and residents who have left will not be allowed back until the all-clear is given.

'It was so quick'

One family in Kelmscott told thewest.com.au the fire approached so fast they barely had time to escape before their house was destroyed.

"It was so quick," said Talia Tucci, 16.

"I went outside and all I could see was black smoke everywhere.

"We could see our next-door neighbour hosing everything down but his house just burnt and then it came up to the back of our house and we had no time to get anything, it just came up too fast."

As the Tuccis fled with only a handful of possessions, firefighters were forced to jump off the balcony of the house to escape the flames.

Other residents were given just 20 minutes to prepare for the blaze to hit their home.

The Roleystone bushfire started at 11.42am yesterday, and at noon was not considered by firefighters to be a major threat.

But the situation deteriorated rapidly, and a bushfire advice was put out at 12.45pm, warning of the fire.

By 1.30pm, the danger had escalated so dramatically that an emergency warning was put out saying homes in parts of Roleystone and Kelmscott would be hit by fire in 20 minutes.

"There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive," it said.

The advice said that if people had not left in 20 minutes, it would not be safe to leave.

Authorities believe the Roleystone fire was started accidentally by someone using a grinder.

The fire to the northeast of Perth, near Brigadoon, began when strong winds downed a tree branch which fell onto power lines.

With AAP