Perth South Fire Update: Commuter Chaos as Bushfire Shuts Down Mandurah Rail Corridor

Residents in Perth's southern corridor are facing a chaotic end to 2025 as an out of control bushfire tears through the City of Rockingham. The blaze, which ignited on the evening of Monday, December 29, 2025, has forced the emergency closure of the Mandurah train line and the total shutdown of Warnbro Station, leaving thousands of holiday travelers and commuters stranded while emergency crews battle to save homes and critical infrastructure.

As of Tuesday afternoon, December 30, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has maintained a "Watch and Act" warning for parts of Cooloongup, Waikiki, and Warnbro. The fire is burning in high fuel loads within the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park, moving in a north north westerly direction and threatening residential areas.

The fire reportedly started around 7:00 PM on Monday near the entrance to Warnbro Train Station. Driven by strong easterly winds and soaring temperatures, the blaze quickly escalated from a scrub fire into a fast moving front. Over 140 career and volunteer firefighters were deployed overnight, supported by aerial water bombers that began a relentless rotation at first light on Tuesday.

The situation was further complicated by reports of "something big going bang" overnight, with local residents reporting sounds similar to gas tank explosions. More concerning were reports that unexploded ordnance (UXO) within the regional park may be hampering ground crews' ability to safely enter certain pockets of the bushland to establish containment lines.

The proximity of the fire to the rail corridor left the Public Transport Authority (PTA) with no choice but to suspend services. The impact has been severe:

With New Year's Eve celebrations just 24 hours away, the timing of the disruption is particularly difficult for those planning to travel between Perth and the Peel region.

Main Roads WA has implemented several major closures to facilitate firefighting efforts and protect motorists from thick, black smoke.

Residents in the "Watch and Act" zone have been told to stay vigilant against ember attacks. "Burning embers are being lofted by high winds and can start fires in gutters or gardens well ahead of the main front," a DFES spokesperson warned. The advice remains clear: If your plan is to leave, leave now.

While firefighters have made progress in shielding homes along the western edge of the park, the fire remains uncontained and out of control. A predicted wind shift later this afternoon could push the fire toward the suburbs of Safety Bay and Cooloongup, making the next few hours critical.

For those choosing to stay and defend, authorities emphasize being mentally and physically prepared with independent water supplies and protective clothing. However, for most residents, the safest option remains relocating to friends or family outside the warning zone.