Australian teen charged after firework sparks New Year’s Eve bushfire

More than 160 firefighters were deployed to battle the fire, supported by police and aerial water-bombing helicopters. Emergency services said the blaze burned more than 25 hectares of native bushland and damaged fences and a shed, though no homes were destroyed.

Police said more than 2,000 homes and businesses lost power as the fire approached properties, while an evacuation centre was opened at the High Wycombe Community and Recreation Centre as a precaution.

Arson investigators charged the teenager, Luke Joseph Grguric from Kalamunda, with failing to ensure an ignition or fire source would not cause a fire that could not be controlled, after allegedly throwing a firework into dry grass.

Appearing in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, prosecutors told the court the fire had become “tantamount to a catastrophic event”, adding Mr Grguric was "recklessly negligent", according to ABC News.

Mr Grgruric’s lawyer said his client had panicked after realising what had happened and made “concerted efforts to extinguish the fire” before alerting neighbours and emergency services.

He was granted bail and is due to return to court later this month.

By Thursday afternoon, the fire was described as contained but not controlled, with authorities warning that changing weather conditions could pose renewed risks.

Incident controller Paul Postma said firefighters had established containment lines but cautioned the danger was not over.

"We currently have the fire inside a box; we are slowly winning the war to put the fire out but the fire is still quite active," he told residents.

Emergency WA downgraded its warning level to watch and act later in the day, though residents were urged to remain vigilant.

The incident comes as authorities across Western Australia warn of heightened bushfire risk during the summer period, with hot temperatures and dry conditions increasing the danger posed by careless or reckless behaviour.

Earlier last week, police charged a man over a Christmas Day bushfire in the Byford area south-east of Perth, which burned tens of thousands of square metres of bushland during extreme heat.

Authorities have repeatedly warned that lighting fires during high-risk conditions can endanger lives, property and emergency responders.