Fire crews trapped by fallen powerline amid Cervantes bushfire battle north of Perth

Residents have been rescued from a beach by boat and two firefighters have escaped injury from a falling powerline amid the ongoing battle to tame a fierce bushfire threatening a series of coastal communities about 200km north of Perth.

An emergency warning remains in place for parts of Wedge Island, Grey, Cervantes, Nambung and Cooljarloo in the Shire of Dandaragan in Western Australia.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: More than 70,000ha burnt in Cervantes blaze.

It includes the fishing shack villages of Grey and Wedge, and Cervantes, a town with a population of about 500.

The fire has burned through more than 70,000 hectares of bushland since it was started by a fatal car crash on Monday.

Thankfully, there have been no reports of loss of life or property.

About 37 residents in Wedge and Grey chose to stay in their communities as the blaze burned through the roads in and out of the villages.

DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said the fire, which is yet to be contained or controlled, is about 3km from Cervantes and moving in a westerly direction.

More than 200 firefighters are battling the blaze.

Klemm said containment lines have held firm in Cervantes and Wedge, and they will be reinforced on Friday.

Sand dunes had also helped protect Grey from the worst of the fire, Klemm said.

But the situation remains “very challenging” and easterly winds will test containment lines along a 50km fire flank.

“We are expecting difficult conditions to continue overnight and into tomorrow. Thunderstorms are forecast from 5pm (Friday),” Klemm said.

“They could occur to the north of the incident, however they will come with little rainfall which presents a risk of lightning, bringing additional ignitions.”

Beach rescue and trapped crews

Shire President Tony O’Gorman said some residents from Grey were rescued by boat from a beach on Thursday.

“Our fisheries vessel (in Jurien Bay to the north) and our marine rescue people went down and took those people off the beach because it was just too risky to leave them there,” he said.

It comes after two volunteer firefighters were burned on Wednesday as the blaze flared.

One suffered minor injuries and did not require an ambulance.

The second sustained but non-life-threatening burns and was flown to hospital in Perth.

He was discharged from hospital on Thursday.

“Also (on Thursday), two volunteer firefighters had a lucky escape when a powerline came down on top of their fire appliance,” Klemm said.

“They were temporarily trapped in the vehicle until (the powerline) could be safely removed.”

They were not injured and both incidents are now under investigation.

An evacuation centre at Jurien Bay Sports and Recreation Centre has reopened, while Nambung National Park remains closed.

- With AAP