Varley bushfire: Paddock fire in shire of Lake Grace controlled but not contained, sparking DFES fire advice

An uncontained paddock fire in Varley, east of Lake Grace, has sparked a bushfire advice alert as volunteer firefighters battle to slow down the blaze.

The crop fire was reported at 9.23am on Monday, and has already torn through 10ha of farmland.

About 20 volunteer farming units and bushfire brigades from Varley, Lake King and Holt Rock rushed to the scene and are actively fighting the fire.

The blaze has been controlled but has not been contained.

About an hour after the call, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services put in place a bushfire advice alert for an area bounded by Henderson Road, Carstairs Road, Holt Rock Road East, across to Cosmic Boy-Digger Rocks Road in parts of Forrestania, Holt Rock and Varley in the shires of Kondinin, Kulin and Lake Grace.

With temperatures set to creep to a scorching 38C in the region, DFES has declared an extreme or catastrophic fire danger rating.

Despite the advice spanning across three shires, DFES says there is currently no threat to lives or homes.

WHAT TO DO

• Stay alert and monitor your surroundings.
• Read through your bushfire plan and decide what you will do if the situation gets worse. You can make a plan by visiting My Bushfire Plan.
• Watch for signs of a bushfire, especially smoke and flames.
• Close all doors and windows, and turn off evaporative air-conditioners but keep water running through the system if possible.
• If you have a respiratory condition and you have been affected by smoke, contact your doctor or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

If driving:

• Turn your headlights on and drive slowly.
• Watch for emergency services personnel and follow their directions.
• If you cannot see clearly, pull over, keep your headlights and hazard lights on, and wait until the smoke clears.