Bushfires burning in Waroona and Harvey

THE WAROONA AND HARVEY BUSHFIRE - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

PRESTON BEACH AND EAST OF SOUTH WESTERN HIGHWAY

* emergency warning

* too late to leave

* people must shelter in their homes and actively defend them

WEST OF SOUTH WESTERN HIGHWAY, INCLUDING HARVEY

* emergency warning

* people can evacuate in a westerly direction

* beware of continued ember attacks

DAMAGE

* more than 21,000 hectares burnt

* fire first reported 7.25am, Wednesday

* caused by lightning

* one man taken to hospital with burns to his back

* more than 7000 properties without power

* several recreation sites closed

RESOURCES

* more than 200 firefighters

* aerial support assisting firefighters on the ground

* more than 23 appliances, including five dozers and three loaders, to establish containment lines

* evacuation centres at Murray Leisure Centre and Leschenault Leisure Centre

FORECAST

* temperature reached 40C on Thursday

* Bureau of Meteorology forecasts similar hot and windy conditions for the rest of the week

* thunderstorms also possible