Quindanning farm razed

An out-of-control bush fire has burnt out a large Quindanning sheep farm as it blazes towards Boddington.

The fire was started by lightning on a private property on January 31, but had been contained to a small area of about 8000 square meters until breaking out yesterday afternoon and burning in an easterly direction towards Quindanning.

Fire authorities say when the wind picked up, the fire grew to cover 20,000 hectares before firefighters contained the blaze at 9pm last night.

Sheep farmer Wayne Littleton, son of property owners Tony and Emily Littleton, said the fire went from a relatively small fire to things "going to hell" as unfavourable wind conditions pushed the fire onto their property.

More than 250 hectares of pasture have been destroyed on the property.

Mr Littleton said "things got messy" when the blaze broke containment lines on the firefront's southern border and started burning pasture and fences.

"We are not out of danger yet because the changing winds could blow again in a westerly direction and temperatures are set to be extreme by Sunday," Mr Littleton said.

"This fire has already been contained twice already and it still broke out again."

Mr Littleton said luckily everyone on the farm was safe and his 5000 head of sheep had not so far been harmed.

"There has been some fence damage but we don't know how much at this stage until we do a full assessment of damage to the property," he said.

Meanwhile, firefighters have also reported hundreds of loose sheep, which they rescued to safety in fire trucks at the peak of the blaze yesterday.