Geraldton resident Nick Morgan grateful for support after losing home in bushfires

A home owner who lost his house and his cat to a bushfire in Geraldton, in WA's Mid West, says "karma" is looking for anyone who may have deliberately lit the blazes, as authorities investigate the source of the multi-day bushfires.

Nick Morgan was out of town when a bushfire razed his Waggrakine home to the ground, with the blaze reportedly engulfing his house after embers set a tree alight on his property.

"We found out … when somebody mentioned that a house had gone up, and they said that it had gone up because a palm tree caught alight, and ours is one of the only places there that had palm trees," he said.

Mr Morgan's home is the only property confirmed to have been destroyed by fires which authorities have been fighting since Friday.

The blaze flared up on Sunday, triggering an emergency level warning in the afternoon as it burned close to homes in Waggrakine and Moresby. 

While investigations into the ignition source are still ongoing, there have been early indications the fires may have been deliberately lit, according to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

"If it was deliberately lit, karma is looking for them," Mr Morgan said.

"Was it really worth it, just for a thrill of seeing something burn?

"It doesn't bring my cat back, it doesn't bring my home back, but it's hard not to."

'Grateful and appreciative'

Mr Morgan said he was grateful for the efforts of firefighters, but wished he had been in town to defend his property.

"But, what's done is done now, I can't turn back the clock," he said.

"I've got a support base that have rallied around me. Family, friends have all pitched in and said they will support me.

"I've got half a dozen places where I can stay the night, so I'm really, really grateful and appreciative."

Authorities are still battling the bushfires which escalated on Sunday and Monday, with weather conditions expected to ease today.

Investigation launched

Speaking from Geraldton on Monday afternoon, Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said the investigation into what caused the fires would be given extra resources.

"There is some suspicion that some of these fires may have been initiated intentionally," Mr Papalia said.

"That is appalling behaviour, totally unacceptable, and Strike Force Vulcan are going to be focused on identifying the culprits and bringing them to justice.

"The local detectives here are already investigating, and there are additional personnel detectives coming from Perth."

Strike Force Vulcan is a unit within WA Police that runs across the bushfire season.

It is led by senior detectives from the arson squad and works closely with DFES and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Conditions easing

The temperature in Geraldton on Monday reached 42 degrees, with strong winds early in the morning causing the blaze to jump containment lines and the Chapman River.

DFES incident controller Brent Allen said fire danger for the area was expected to ease off on Tuesday, with an expected top of 33 degrees.

He said conditions were expected to be more favourable as the week went on. 

"We'll be able to really get stuck into the mop up and ... making everything safe," he said.

"[Today] we have kind of moderate fire dangers with that improving each day as it goes along for the rest of the week."

As of Tuesday morning, six 'advice' warnings remained in place for fires in the area, with residents in Waggrakine and Moresby being told they could return home with caution.