Perth Magistrates Court to make decision on whether Western Power at fault for Narrogin-Wickepin 2022 bushfire

Western Power will face Perth Magistrates Court on Friday after the company was charged over alleged safety breaches that sparked a Wheatbelt inferno in February last year. The Narrogin-Wickepin bushfire started after power line conductors clashed and caused dry grass to ignite. It tore through about 18,000ha of land east of Narrogin, destroying property, bushland and livestock as it threatened the town of Wickepin. The blaze was one of four devastating bushfires that wreaked havoc across the Wheatbelt, with blazes in Denmark, Bridgetown, Corrigin and Wickepin all burning through more than 65,000ha on the weekend of February 5-7. It was the first time WA had battled four level-three emergencies simultaneously, prompting a massive response from more than 1000 career and volunteer firefighters in 40-plus degree conditions. The fires killed more than 10,000 sheep, destroyed seven homes and completely razed paddocks and farm infrastructure. Building and Energy, the regulatory body at the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, investigated the matter and found Western Power had allegedly breached the Electricity (Network Safety) Regulations 2015. Following the fire, the utility produced a plan to reduce the risk posed by power lines in its network like those that started the Narrogin-Wickepin blaze. The power company gave the plan to the Director of Energy Safety. Building and Energy said it has been monitoring Western Power’s progress with the remediation program.