A dangerous Christmas Day bushfire came within a few kilometres of Boddington overnight, forcing residents to spend the holiday in evacuation centres as firefighters worked relentlessly to protect the town 130 kilometres south east of Perth.
The blaze, which has already scorched nearly 3,700 hectares, remains uncontained and uncontrolled. Crews fought through the night to hold the fire back, while some locals sought refuge in the nearby town of Williams.
On Friday morning, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services downgraded the alert to a Watch and Act as humidity increased and containment lines strengthened. Assistant Commissioner Stuart Wade said the fire had pushed to within two kilometres of Boddington on Thursday night.
He praised the efforts of firefighters, saying they had done an incredible job protecting homes and that there were no reports of property loss from either of the emergency level fires burning in the region.
Wade warned that conditions would become more difficult as winds strengthened throughout the day. He noted that crews had endured an exhausting 48 hours, working across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and into the night.
About 40 fire appliances are currently deployed at Boddington, supported by 13 aircraft including an air tanker and two Blackhawk helicopters. Aerial operations resumed on Friday morning.
Wade said the fire remained unpredictable, with embers posing a serious risk of spot fires.
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