Sixty-four homes have now been razed in the bush-fringed Perth suburbs of Kelmscott and Roleystone, while 32 others have been damaged.
Emergency services were surprised by the fire, which started about midday yesterday, 40 kilometres south-east of the Perth CBD.
Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) says fire breaks are helping crews stop spot fires before they spread and the situation is getting better, with the fire now under control.
FESA spokesman Mal Cronstedt says the fire is mostly contained but still causing concern.
"The Roleystone fire is 95 per cent contained, [but] there's still many areas of concern for us," he said.
"The fire has entered an area of urban interface where bush meets houses. [It's] very complex, very hilly and poses inordinate problems for firefighters in both accessing the fire and fighting the fire itself."
Mr Cronstedt says resources are being stretched, but help is coming in from all over Western Australia.
More than 100 firefighters are still battling the blaze.
Bob Walton's house has been gutted by fire.
"I came back this morning to try and find only four items which I was really concerned about and they were my father's war medals and my grandfather's war medals," he said on ABC Radio this morning.
"I've rummaged through my study. I've been in there with a shovel and sadly I think they've probably melted like everything else has.
"It's all material stuff that can be replaced - settees, sofas, carpets. I mean they mean nothing to anybody. But those medals were very close to me."
The Federal Government has announced it will provide emergency assistance to people affected by the blaze.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has declared the Roleystone region a natural disaster area and has committed $3,000 in immediate assistance to those whose homes have been destroyed.
He toured the fire-ravaged areas of Roleystone and Kelmscott earlier today and says the devastation is vast.
"All you see is bricks, burnt out timber, twisted iron. And I know for those families when they do return, it's going to be absolutely heartbreaking," he said.
Fire services personnel are battling other blazes around the Perth area.
Fires in Chittering, Jarrahdale and Coorow are keeping emergency services busy, but are not posing a threat to lives or homes.
And authorities have downgraded the emergency warning for a fire in Red Hill that has been burning since Saturday night.
It has steadily burnt through more than 1,000 hectares and could cause problems for residents in some communities.
A Watch and Act is in place, meaning there is a possible threat to lives and homes.
Authorities say they know people are keen to get back to their homes, but the area is still a live fire zone and they are not sure when it will be safe for residents to return.
Fire authorities have told residents of Clifton Hills it is now safe to go home and people living north of Orlando Street will be allowed to return later tonight.
Tags: disasters-and-accidents, emergency-incidents, emergency-planning, fires, bushfire, residential-fires, australia, wa, chittering-6084, jarrahdale-6124, kelmscott-6111, perth-6000, red-hill-6056, roleystone-6111 First posted February 7, 2011 21:03:00
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