The Shire of Wagin delivered a timely reminder to its residents to be prepared and cautious as bushfire season ramps up, after machinery sparked a fire in Wedgecarrup last week.

The fire was first reported in Wedgecarrup at about 3.45pm last Friday, and the flames quickly spread from a paddock into an area of bushland.

Volunteer fire crews from Wagin, Wedgecarrup and Arthur River rushed to the scene, and had the flames contained and under control by 7.30pm.

Crews remained on site throughout Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, monitoring the smouldering bush and strengthening containment lines with a bulldozer, and were expecting to leave the area completely by Tuesday afternoon.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services could not confirm what had sparked the fire, but it is believed to have been sparked by a lawnmower.

The Shire of Wagin posted a message to their Facebook page on Monday, thanking volunteers for their efforts to efficiently get the blaze under control and reminding all residents to get their properties ready for fires with summer and peak bushfire season both just around the corner.

“Our sincere thanks to volunteers who acted quickly to contain the Wedgecarrup fire on Friday evening,” the post read.

“The fire is an important reminder to maintain firebreaks and ensure appropriate firefighting equipment is readily available, as machinery of any size can quickly turn a small spark into a big fire.”