Geraldton, Mullewa fires dealt with by rapid responses

Hot weather and harvesting sparked several small bushfires across Greater Geraldton over the weekend, with rapid responses from local brigades quickly containing the outbreaks.

In East Chapman, near Northern Gully, just after 10.20am a fire was reported which damaged 150ha of a wheat crop.

In Geraldton, near Utakarra Road and North West Coast Highway, at 10.59am a small fire began in bushland, with a similar incident reported minutes earlier in Ellendale, near Nangetty-Walkaway Road and Burma Road.

A fire at a Mullewa home near Main Road, caused by an electrical fault, was also attended to about 8am on Saturday morning, with the female occupant of the two-bedroom home having to climb out of a window to escape. The local brigade was able to extinguish the blaze before anyone was injured or any major damage was sustained.

A total fire ban was placed over Greater Geraldton by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services that day, while the city imposed a harvest and vehicle movement ban for about an hour and a half while crews responded to the incidents.