Police investigating car fire after South West farmers’ lucky escape

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a car fire that spread to nearby bushland outside Burekup after a farmer and his wife said they were “incredibly lucky” to avoid having their house burnt down. The South Western Times understands the fire was allegedly sparked while a group of people were doing burnouts at the intersection of Dowdells Line and O’Connor Road near Burekup when their car caught fire and set the adjacent grass alight. The fire was reported to the Department of Fire & Emergency Services at 11.51pm last Friday, with firefighters within the Shire of Dardanup managing the blaze. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, with a bushfire advice put in place for people bounded by Waterloo Road to the west, South Western Highway to the north, Dowdells Line to the east and St Helena Road to the south. Although the fire burnt through 12ha of land, an all clear notice was issued by DFES at 10.23am on Sunday. Resident Bob Clarke, whose property was in the firing line, told the South Western Times he and his wife Leisa had to jump into action after Mrs Clarke woke up smelling smoke and went outside to see “a wall of flames” heading for their house. “She rang 000 straight away as well as our neighbours while I got our fire cart ready,” he said. “I spent a few minutes trying to get the cattle out of the paddock that was in the line of the fire but couldn’t see because of the smoke so I just opened a few gates and hoped for the best. “By the time I got back to connect the fire unit, neighbours were starting to arrive as well as the local firefighting brigades.” Mr Clarke said it could have been “a hell of a lot worse” if it weren’t for his wife waking up to the smell of smoke, the the quick thinking of the firefighters and neighbours as well as Mr Clarke recently conducting irrigation on the farm prior to the fire. “It could have been catastrophic,” he said. “If my wife had slept another 10 minutes, it would have been right at our house and it would have been at our neighbours’ where there’s hay bales and machinery. “I’m indebted to not only the career firefighters but our local brigades, wonderful neighbours for their tremendous response.” While Mr Clarke’s property was not damaged in the blaze, he said he may have to euthanise one of his older cattle, which had become immobile following the incident. Mr Clarke also expressed frustration over the alleged hoon behaviour that takes place in the area due to its isolation and low traffic. “The entire length of Dowdells Line and O’Connor Road is just covered in tyre marks — it’s terrible,” he said. In a statement, police said they were investigating the incident, alleging the vehicle was “set alight by unknown offenders”. Police urge anyone with information relating to the fire to contact Crime Stoppers. Dardanup Shire president Mick Bennett said the area was a common spot for young people to do burnouts in their vehicles, slamming the behaviour as “dumb”. “It was very disturbing for (the residents) to wake up in the middle of the night and there’s a fire heading towards your kitchen,” he said. “For the brigades to have to come out at midnight to put out a fire and stay until four in the morning or later to make sure it’s out and with the howling easterly wind, it could have been a lot worse. “It could have spread for some acreage further and further towards Waterloo and Eaton in the background of that. “Maybe the farmer didn’t wake up and maybe his house burned down — it’s a lot of maybes but it’s the sort of tragedies you look at in bushfires.” Cr Bennett said police were notified of the incident, with the car’s number plate handed over to officers when they attended the scene.