A southern suburbs home has been fully destroyed after a blaze ripped through the property in the early hours of Thursday morning. Firefighters were called to the house fire on Pelham Gardens in Canning Vale just after 4.30am. All occupants in the home, understood to be a family, got out safe. However, the house was fully destroyed before firefighters could get the blaze under control. Photos show flames coming through the caved in roof. The fire came hours after another house fire in Armadale around
6.11pm on Wednesday night. The blaze on Shanks Court was contained to a single room. The house blazes come as DFES revealed the past five years has seen a 50 per cent increase in the number of winter fires started by electrical goods. Last winter alone saw 274 blazes — the equivalent of about three a day — a 25 per cent increase on 2024. Electrical equipment and appliances were responsible for almost a quarter of those fires, while unattended cooking and heating systems were
also primary causes. Lithium-ion batteries sparked 15 house fires last winter. WA residents are being urged to check their electrical goods for damage and overheating, test their smoke alarms, never leave cooking unattended and to keep all items at least one metre away from the heater. DFES commissioner Darren Klemm also urged West Australians to look at installing interconnected heat alarms in garages or storage rooms, where battery products were often kept. Two people have died in WA house fires so far this year.
Canning Vale house fire, Pelham Gardens, Armadale house fire, Shanks Court, DFES, winter fires, electrical goods, lithium-ion batteries, smoke alarms, interconnected heat alarms
How does a roof just cave in that fast…
So one room in Armadale was contained but Canning Vale is basically gone. Sounds like different wiring? Or maybe wind? Either way this electrical stuff is getting out of hand.
I don’t get why people are saying lithium batteries like that’s always the issue. Like yeah maybe, but could’ve been space heaters too. They said keep things a metre away from the heater which is weird because I feel like everyone’s doing that and it still happens. Interconnected heat alarms in a garage sounds good though, I guess.
Two fires in like one day and now they’re blaming electrical goods like that’s the only cause. Unattended cooking, heating systems, batteries, overheating, smoke alarms… it’s like a whole checklist. Also 274 fires is insane, that’s like three a day for real? I’m just gonna unplug everything at night now lol.