Toxic smoke billowing from a factory fire in Perth's heavy industrial complex has seen authorities issue a hazmat warning for people living in more than a dozen residential suburbs.
A warehouse storing agricultural supplies caught ablaze in Kwinana Beach on Friday, resulting in potentially dangerous smoke spreading throughout the area.
The hazmat warning remains in place for suburbs within parts of the City of Kwinana.
DFES incident controller Superintendent Ray Buchan said the blaze started in a conveyor belt carrying sulphur from a ship to a storage facility.
"The crew response came from pretty much all over the metropolitan area," he said.
"We had about 70 firefighters working on the job, both career and volunteer, working in really trying conditions today, with the heat.
"It was horrendous, I was down there myself and it was nearly 40 degrees and they were in their [protective clothing].
"The fire itself looked a lot worse than it was when we got here because of the conveyor belt, was basically rubber burning, but in amongst that was sulphur dioxide so we immediately put out warnings to the community to advise them of what was going on."
The fire was brought under control during the afternoon, with smoke being dissipated by the winds, but personnel were expected to stay on site overnight to ensure there were no flare-ups.
A spokesperson for Nutrien Ag Solutions told the ABC that 11 people on its site were safely evacuated after reports of smoke.
"We will assess the potential damage to our site and any ongoing impact to our operations once we can gain safe access to the site," the company's regional manager Andrew Duperouzel said.
"We will continue working with all relevant authorities as the situation unfolds.
"This site holds a range of agricultural granular fertilisers."
More than 40,000 people live in the affected areas which includes several residential hubs in the Kwinana district.
Authorities say people should remain inside, out of the smoke or fumes, with doors and windows closed.
Air conditioners should also be switched off.
The wind is pushing the smoke towards suburbia.
Perth is in the grips of yet another summer heatwave, with the temperature reaching 42.6 degrees at the nearby Jandakot weather station at the peak of the day.
Close call for residents
Earlier in the day, another bushfire in Perth's southern suburbs burned very close to homes in Spearwood.
That fire tore through bushland in a road reserve next to the busy Stock Road.
Aerial vision shows the land completely scorched, with the fire butting right up against backyard fences.
Visit Emergency WA, call DFES on 133 337, follow DFES on Twitter or listen to ABC Local Radio to stay up to date.
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