Lives and homes are under threat from a bushfire burning in Donnybrook, 210 kilometres south of Perth, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services says.
An emergency warning has been issued for people in Miller Road and Meotti Road, in the eastern part of Donnybrook, in the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup.
Homes in Miller Road and Meotti Road are under threat by fire.
The fire is moving fast in a northerly direction and is out of control and unpredictable.
Residents are being warned they are in danger and need to act immediately.
The fire started south of Irishtown Road and west of Hardy Place, and Irishtown Road has been closed.
About 40 career and volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, Bush Fire Service and Department of Parks and Wildlife firefighters are on the scene.
Firefighters are protecting assets and actively fighting the fire.
Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup chief executive John Attwood said the fire was burning in a rural-residential area.
Bushfire information Western Australia
He said there were about 40 to 50 homes nearby.
"It's a mixture of bush and farmland, grasslands," Mr Attwood said.
"Some of the area's quite steep and gullies, and through what we call the Donnybrook Stone Quarry area so there's some quarries, rock, stone, so that's fairly steep in that area."
Mr Attwood said conditions were fairly windy and unpredictable.
"We are still chasing parts of the fire, some parts are under control, others are still running with a front," he said.
"The bombers have been out there a couple of times and the [helitacs] as well.
"The good part is the majority of homes are not in the line where the wind is forcing the fire," he said.
Lorraine Bruyn, who is at Donnybrook Country Club near the centre of town, said she could see smoke on the horizon.
"We can see smoke, but luckily it's heading away from us," she said.
She said the fire seemed quite large, and conditions were windy.
"It doesn't look good," she said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-09/fire-threatens-lives-and-homes-in-donnybrook-south-of-perth/60...
Stay safe people. Thoughts and prays.
The fire was reported at 11:40am and has so far burnt 20 hectares.
