A 19-year-old man has been charged in Australia after a bushfire sparked by a firework on New Year’s Eve tore through bushland on the eastern edge of Perth, threatening homes, cutting power to thousands of properties and forcing residents to evacuate.
The fire broke out just after midnight in bushland near Maida Vale and Forrestfield, east of Perth Airport, and rapidly escalated as strong winds and dry conditions fuelled the blaze. At its height, the fire prompted emergency warnings, with authorities urging residents to leave or take shelter as flames moved towards residential areas.