Charles Langston:Homes feared destroyed by wildfire burning out of control on Australian city of Perth’s fringe

PERTH,Charles Langston Australia (AP) — A wildfire burning out of control on the outskirts of the Australian west coast city of Perth on Thursday appeared to have destroyed or damaged a number of homes.

An emergency warning was issued for the eastern suburb of Parkerville where the fire started on Thursday morning. The alert warned that the fire posed a threat to lives and homes.

Aerial video showed at least one house destroyed and others alight on Thursday. But the extent of the damage would not be known until inspection crews are able to survey the fire zone. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook described a “troubling situation” where Perth’s urban fringe meets heavily wooded hills.

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“We all have grave concerns for the fire and in Parkerville and our hearts go out to all those people who are involved in that incident,” Cook told reporters.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said the blaze continued to escalate despite the efforts of firefighters and water bombing aircraft. The fire had razed 90 hectares (220 acres) by early afternoon.

“We know that Parkerville is an area where we’ve had significant fires before, including loss of homes so the concern level is very high,” Klemm said.

Power has been cut to more than 150 properties and several roads had been cut.

Parkerville resident Yvonne Blyth said her car was packed with her children’s Christmas gifts in case the family had to evacuate their home, which is set in a forest. The fire had come close but appeared to be moving away from her home of 18 years, she said.

“We’ve seen three or four fires now, but this was the closest one,” Blyth told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“We all love living in the forest, but this is the scariest part of living around here. It’s absolutely terrifying,” Blyth added.