District officer for Cockburn Sound Peter Sutton said people had to leave early, or be fully prepared to stay.
‘We want people to be prepared and have a bushfire survival plan in place,’ Mr Sutton said.
‘If they’re not prepared to defend their property they need to leave early. If they’re prepared to defend their properties, they need to be equipped to do so.
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READ NOW‘This is considered a rural-urban interface area where bush impacts upon property and can be impacted by ember attacks or direct flame contact.’
The Fire Investigation Analysis Unit said the formal cause of last Tuesday’s fire, which ravaged about five hectares of bushland between Frankland Avenue, Woodrow Avenue, Atkins Parade and Barfield Road, was still undetermined.
Forty firefighters and air support were used to help contain the fire, which potentially saved Jack Liao’s property from the scrap- heap. Mr Liao has lived at the home since 1995 and said it was the first time fire had threatened his home.
‘It’s pretty crazy, I did not expect the fire to, literally, be on my property,’ he said.
‘The fire was almost into the house, only a few metres away.’
Mr Liao urged residents to maintain firebreaks.
‘There’s always potential there for bushfires throughout the summers, that’s why we have firebreaks everywhere, but I did not expect a bushfire to happen in our place,’ he said.
‘You always pray that these things don’t happen but if they do you have to make sure you have your firebreaks in place.’