A Wedgecarrup family has been left with little more than the clothes on their backs after their 100-year-old home was destroyed in a terrifying bushfire.
The Spurr family home was razed on Friday afternoon when a bushfire tore through Arthur River; a small Wheabelt town, about 200km south-east of Perth.
The family home — first built in 1928 — was constructed entirely from rocks and stones found on the property.
Now, the devastated family have been left with almost nothing other than themselves and their pet dogs.
“Everything is gone; all I’ve got is my pants, my phone and a pair of boots,” owner Tom Spurr told 7NEWS.
Mr Spurr said his wife, Mandy, tried running back in a desperate bid to grab some clothes.
“(It happened) really fast, Mandy was trying to grab some stuff, but by the time she came out and got in the car, the flames were leaping around,” he said.
“She only had just enough time to get in the car and go.
“It’s rushed up here at speed and hit the front doors and set them on fire.
“You couldn’t have been here; you would have got burnt with it.”
Mr Spurr — who turns 70-years-old today — will now spend his birthday rebuilding him and his family’s lives.
“There’s always tomorrow. . . we just work things out as they go along,” he said.
A GoFundMe has since been set up in a bid to raise money to rebuild the family home.
“(My parents) have nothing but the clothes on their backs,” Mr Spurr’s daughter, Sam, said in a post.
“Please, we need to try support them as much as we can, they have no clothes; nothing.”
The GoFundMe — which has a target amount of $50,000 — has raised $8300.
The Port Arthur blaze has razed about 11000ha of land, destroying another two homes.
The fire was first reported about 1pm on Friday and quickly became ferocious, sparking an emergency warning just after 2.30pm.
The fire was contained but not controlled as of Saturday evening, with firefighters of Saturday afternoon, the fire is stationary and contained but not controlled, with firefighters still on the scene fighting the blaze and strengthening containment lines.
A bushfire advice warning is still in place for parts of the Shire of Woondalling, Shire of Wagin and the Shire of West Arthur.
“Stay alert and monitor your surroundings,” a DFES spokesperson said.
A bushfire watch and act is also in place for parts of Wagin, Wedgecarrup, Minding and Lime Lake in the Shire of Wagin.
West Arthur chief bushfire control officer Graham Peirce said the community had rallied together.
“There’s been a huge community turnout … it’s been amazing for these country areas,” he said.
Bushfires also continued to rage on Saturday afternoon in WA’s great southern region in communities near Narrikup and Bremer Bay.
Shire of Plantagenet president Len Handasyde told The Sunday Times the Narrikup bushfire, about 380km south of Perth, was a “shocker” amid some of the worst conditions. he’d seen.
The blaze — first reported about 1pm on Friday, destroying about 240ha of land — is now contained and controlled as firefighters mop up the scene.
Mr Handasyde said he believed the fire was ignited on Friday afternoon after a “power issue”.
“I believe it was a power issue … Western Power were certainly there to rectify the issue,” he said.
Details around what that power issue was are yet to be clarified.
“The day was a shocker … probably some of the worst conditions I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “We were well prepared, probably as well prepared as we’ve ever been for these types of conditions, so when the fire got going, people were on the road and on the scene very quickly.”
Mr Handasyde said the fire had destroyed an abandoned farmhouse.
“It’s an old farmhouse that hasn’t been lived in for a long time,” he said.
“There’s been some people impacted at the southern end of the fire … there was a huge amount of effort, both yesterday during the fire run, but also overnight to contain and bring that fire under control.
“I don’t think any livestock was lost.”
Mr Handasyde thanked volunteers and emergency services for their efforts.
“An incident control vehicle came up from Albany to support police, water tankers and many, many, many volunteers out there yesterday in the heat and overnight,” he said.
“It was a terrific effort from our volunteers and I can’t speak highly enough of the effort that went in.” yesterday.”
As of Saturday afternoon, parts in the Shire of Jerramungup also remained in a watch and act zone, with people in communities around Brember Bay told to stay alert and monitor surroundings.
The bushfire — which was sparked by lightning — has destroyed about 980ha of land and is moving slowly in a north-easterly direction.
It is not contained or controlled.
“The fire is burning to the west of the Bremer Bay townsite near the intersection of Borden-Bremer Bay Road and Ocumup Road,” a DFES spokesperson said.
Firefighters are on the scene strengthening containment lines and actively fighting the blaze.
On Saturday, the Cook Government announced a new $250m State Emergency Management Training Centre at a yet to be decided location.
Western Power has been contacted for comment.
13 DFES (13 3337)
SES 132 500
