Concerns about lack of warning signs at Dalyellup blaze site as residents told to stay away due to risks

Dalyellup residents are being urged to stay away from a fire which is burning underground, but signs are not being put up on site to warn the public of the potential danger. About 30 people attended the Shire of Capel’s bushfire check-in meeting at the Dalyellup Community Centre on Thursday night, where DFES district officer Garry McAneny pleaded with the community to stay out of the area which started burning on March 9. “It is really dangerous to go in there and if you have walked along the limestone tracks, you would see the terrain has changed substantially,” he said. “There’s some deep holes and you can sink. We walked parts of it the other day and you can go knee deep or more down and it is super hot.” Mr McAneny revealed soil sampling showed the fire was burning “quite deep” underground, with hopes to have the area mapped for heat radiation on Friday. Crews are still regularly monitoring the fire zone but concerns have been raised about the lack of signs or warnings about potential dangers if members of the public walk through the area. In a statement, Capel shire president Doug Kitchen said information would be provided to residents when needed. “The shire’s brigades are actively monitoring the fire area and liaising with DFES around any necessary community information and warnings,” he said. The panel of officials including Mr McAneny, DFES area officer Jayden Edwards, Capel shire chief bushfire control officer Chris Scott and DFES South West Supt Andy Wright told meeting attendees the fire was unlikely to be fully extinguished until there was sufficient rainfall. An overview was provided of the first hours of the blaze, with firefighters were on scene 15 minutes after being alerted to the fire before 2.30pm on March 9. The Shire of Capel requested DFES take over control managing the blaze about 4.45pm, with the situation stabilising about 9pm as the dew point lifted and fire behaviour changed. Attendees were told 150 firefighters battled the blaze over the first two days. About 60 people attended the evacuation centre at the South West Sports Centre, with 16 staying overnight. Mr McAneny noted the blaze site had not been burned recently, with the fire result likely to provide protection against a similar incident in coming years.