A BALCATTA bushfire has left some homes without power after residents say a power box exploded.
Albert Street resident Kristy Mills said when she returned home at 2.30pm the fire was just metres from the back of her house in a vacant block.
“You could see the flames but you could hear it that was the scariest thing and how quickly it was going,” she said.
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“We grabbed some stuff just in case we were told to get out.
“At the time the wind was going north so it was more threatening.”
Residents described a “big bang” when the power box exploded.
A Western Power emergency response team vehicle, fire truck and several police vehicles were at the scene and police had condoned off the area.
Radalj Place resident Carol Barsden said it wasn’t the first time a fire had broken out in the vacant blocks.
“We used to have one every summer school holidays finally the council started keep it a bit cleaner so this is the first one in a few years,” she said.
“I think that block should have to be kept a lot cleaner.”
Ms Mills said a fire broke out at the same block three years earlier.
A Department of Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said there was no risk to lives or homes.
“The fire has slowed with a north easterly wind pushing a lot of smoke in the area with no risk to lives or homes,” she said.
A bushfire advice alert has been issued for the area.