A visitor to the asbestos ghost town of Wittenoon said it was "sad to see it go down" after an uncontrolled bushfire destroyed multiple buildings late last year.
The abandoned town in Western Australia's north was due to be demolished in coming months, but the bushfire ripped through the site before crews could start dismantling properties.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said the fire was reported by a nearby mining company on Boxing Day, but a firefighting crew was not sent due to the local asbestos contamination and because the town was empty.
Newman resident Amy Brogan was in the area to visit local waterholes and she said it was sad to see the historic town go up in flames.
"But obviously, they have to get rid of it at some stage and, if that's the way nature's going to take it, well that's the way it's going to go," she said.
The town was built to house workers for the nearby asbestos mines and their families. The deadly mineral led to the death of an estimated 1,200 workers and residents, with the mines' asbestos tailings still scattered throughout the region.
The state government last year completed a drawn-out process to acquire the town's remaining properties and remove the final residents to pave the way for demolition.
Ghost town severely damaged
Ms Brogan said the fire travelled from hills adjacent to the town and destroyed multiple buildings.
A DFES spokesperson said two derelict buildings burnt down but Ms Brogan believed that number could be higher.
"By the time we had left, the fire was still going," she said.
"A lot of the buildings that are left there, they're quite in close proximity to one another. I can't imagine the fire didn't spread onto the other houses."
The DFES spokesperson said the asbestos contamination meant an official survey had not been conducted.
A Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage spokesperson said the government was still working to understand the full extent of any damage, but the demolition remained scheduled to start in March after the cyclone season.
Graves appear untouched
For former residents, one of the most significant parts of Wittenoom are the local cemeteries.
Roman Mlodawski's baby sister Tania is buried there. He says images shared by witnesses on social media suggest the blaze did not damage the graves.
"I feel pretty comfortable it didn't affect the cemeteries," he said.
"That's good from my perspective because obviously Tania's buried there. That's my most lasting connection.
"It's just sad that something is slowly disappearing and will eventually not even be there."
People still visiting deadly area
When the state government closed the town, it strongly discouraged visitors to the region, which was littered with asbestos.
Ms Brogan said learning about the dark history of the town as well as the picturesque landscape firsthand were worth the health risks.
"It still has beautiful gorges and waterfalls," she said.
"We don't necessarily go through to the mining area. But also, it's intriguing and human nature to kind of want to investigate, to see something with your own eyes."
Mr Mlodawski said he also planned to travel to the area soon to visit his sister's grave.
Late last year an advisory group met for the first time to start discussions on how the land could be managed and if there was any prospect of cleaning up the contamination.
The ABC understood the area's traditional owners, the Banjima people, were in attendance, but a spokesperson was not available for comment.
