WA: Perth burns as temperatures soar

AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2007
WA: Perth burns as temperatures soar

Firebugs have exploited Perth's second hottest Christmas Day in almost 100 years ..

with officials saying they have been called to more than 120 incidents since yesterday.

There are now two bushfires in the city's north .. and a third large bushfire in Perth's
south has broken containment lines and is burning out of control.

Authorities are hunting the suspected arsonist or arsonists responsible for the fires
in Perth's northern suburbs early this morning at the Marangaroo golf course and at Warrick
Open Space Reserve.

Temperatures today reached close to 41 degrees today after yesterday hitting almost 36 degrees.

The heat is being accompanied by oven-like north-easterly winds .. making today the
second hottest Christmas Day on record since 1915 .. almost as hot as 1968's record of
42 degrees.

And .. tomorrow's expected to be extremely hot again .. with 41 degrees forecast ..

before a cooler change is expected on Thursday.

Fire officials say more than 150 firefighters have spent a large part of their Christmas
Day working on the three major blazes still burning in Perth's north and south.

AAP RTV pc/wz

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES WA (PERTH)

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