There's a sense of relief in the coastal town of Cervantes. After authorities downgraded the threat of a massive bushfire which put lives and homes at risk. Residents are now faced with a big cleanup; amid warnings this is just the beginning of what's predicted to be a challenging fire season in WA.
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00:00After days of uncertainty, surrounded by thick smoke and ash,
00:07Cervantes residents are grateful for a new day.
00:10We're welcoming back the blue sky and the birds are back.
00:14They're very cheerful and you can still hear a lot of work going on in the background.
00:20There's plenty to do yet.
00:22The blaze, which has burned through almost 80,000 hectares of land,
00:26came within a kilometre of the coastal town.
00:29Exhausted residents facing a big clean-up and beyond grateful to emergency services.
00:36We just can't really express our gratitude for their courage and their commitment
00:44under those excessively trying conditions.
00:47But as some count their blessings,
00:49others are coming to terms with the damage the bushfire has caused.
00:53The fire zone home to about 80 apiary sites leased by beekeepers around the state.
00:59We've lost our crop for the next five to ten years.
01:03And, yeah, that's a huge impact on our productions.
01:07Wildlife rescue teams are planning to comb bushland as soon as they've had the all clear
01:12to save injured animals.
01:14You've got your kangaroos, of course.
01:16You've got your black-gloved wallabies out that way.
01:19You have the echidnas and the bobtails, all of the lizards, all of the reptiles.
01:26Indian Ocean Drive is the only way in or out of Cervantes.
01:31But it was here on the eastern side authorities burned to set up those containment lines,
01:36meaning residents weren't able to leave for days.
01:39With almost 40 fires alight across the state on Saturday morning,
01:43the emergency services minister warned of more to come.
01:47The fire season has well and truly started.
01:49But we have firefighters ready, we have aircraft available,
01:54and we're ready for the fire season.
01:56Cooler weather tomorrow and into Monday and Tuesday will see us able to really progress ahead,
02:02get some of those roads open and get people back in to their homes.
02:06Fire authorities remain on high alert for possible flare-ups.
02:17.