The alert level for an out of control bushfire in Perth’s southern suburbs has been downgraded. Earlier this morning, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a bushfire emergency warning for residents bound by Canning River, Ferndale Crescent, Wilcock Street, Latham Road, Metcalfe Road and Nicholson Road in Ferndale and the City of Canning about 6.10am on Thursday. Residents in Perth’s southern suburbs were ordered to evacuate. However, the fire alert has since been downgraded to “watch and act” and DFES says homes are no longer under immediate threat.
The blaze — first reported about 4am on Thursday — remains uncontained and out of control. Despite the reduced threat, residents who have already evacuated are being told it is unsafe to return due to fallen trees, powerlines and other dangers caused by the fire. Multiple water bombers can be seen actively fighting the blaze.
Canning resident, Marilyn, who did not want her surname used, said she woke to the smell of smoke at about 5am. “I could actually smell the smoke while I was asleep so I got up and came outside to have a good look,” she told The West. “I came outside and I could not see across the road at all because the easterly angle of the wind was blowing really thick smoke.”
“Us neighbours were all up and out on the street watching to see where it was and keep alert. We started getting notifications on our phones saying ‘evacuate’ .... some of our neighbours who have a baby have already evacuated.” Marilyn — who lives across the road from Canning River Regional Park — said she felt “pretty safe” but said she would rather stay at home and monitor the blaze. “The fire is about a kilometre away now ... you can hear all the fire engines starting to race and the helicopters have only really come in the last 10 minutes,” she said. “I know we’re in the red zone, but watching the angle of the wind, I think we’re pretty safe here ... I think it’s better to keep track of the fire, especially when we’re opposite the bush. I feel quite safe, there’s so many police and so many fire engines up there doing pretty well.”
Witness, Charlie, said he and his family evacuated their home at about 5.30am. “We were sound asleep and we woke up to banging on the door ... so we evacuated immediately, we grabbed our passports, our phones, a cup of tea and went down to the IGA,” he said. Charlie said his mate — who lives on Bridgeway Avenue, which backs onto the bushland — was watering down his roof with a hose. “I called him on the phone, he says he’s okay but it’s right next to him ... he’s watering down his roof and is worried about ember attacks,” he said.
DFES is managing the bushfire. Some roads may be closed. Motorists are asked to avoid the area, reduce speed and drive carefully. An emergency warning for a fire that forced the evacuation of homes in Perth's south in the early hours of the morning has been downgraded, but residents have been told it is not yet safe to return to the area. Parts of the suburb of Ferndale are still under a watch and act warning, with the alert covering an area bounded by Canning River, Ferndale Crescent, Wilcock Street, Latham Road, Metcalfe Road and Nicholson Road.
While homes are no longer under immediate threat, Ferndale residents have been told it is unsafe to return due to fallen trees and powerlines. DFES said firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze, but said it was not contained or controlled and was moving in a north-westerly direction along the river. It warned burning embers were likely to be blown around residents' homes.
Smoke drifted over homes in Ferndale, with residents urged to stay out of the area. John, a resident of Ferndale, told ABC Radio Perth that more than 100 people who had evacuated their homes were gathered at a nearby supermarket. He said he was woken up by a neighbour banging on his door around 4am, the same time the fire was first reported to authorities. “There’s only a bike path between our house and the bush,” he said. “We were hosing down our yards and gutters. Within about 10 minutes, the police came through and said 'get out now'. The fire was ripping through along the river from right to left. The noise was incredible, massive embers going everywhere, it was all in a vortex.”
The following roads have been closed: Nicholson Road between Albany Highway and Metcalfe Road, Bridgeway Avenue, Willcox Street, and Spencer Road between Nicholson Road and Ruby Avenue. Residents who evacuated are being told it remains unsafe to return due to fallen trees and powerlines. The fire is not yet controlled or contained with embers blowing around the area. Its cause is still yet to be determined.
As of 8am on Thursday, April 3, 2025, DFES confirmed that there was no longer a threat to homes or lives and the fire was downgraded to a watch and act. However, the situation remains fluid, and residents are advised to stay tuned to local news and emergency services for updates.
