SYDNEY – Officials urged residents of a small Western Australia mining community to be on alert today after an out-of-control wildfire with flames up to 18 metres high burned near their town.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia lifted an emergency warning issued on Monday night which had urged residents to flee the blaze, burning near Eneabba, 280 kilometres north of Perth.

The fire no longer threatened homes or lives, the fire authority said.

”It’s just a general advice to ensure that people remain vigilant,” spokeswoman Jessica Reid said.

The fire, which began on Saturday, has already consumed 31,000 hectares of land in the sparsely populated area.

Temperatures in Western Australia have been scorching throughout the summer. Today, the mercury was predicted to rise to 41C.

-AP