A teenager has been charged for causing a bushfire near Perth, Western Australia. The 19-year-old man from Kalamunda allegedly threw a firecracker into dry grass shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve. This act ignited a fire that quickly grew and threatened homes near Maida Vale, Forrestfield, and Kalamunda. More than 2,000 homes and businesses lost power as the fire approached the eastern edge of Perth city. Over 160 firefighters, supported by police and a helicopter, worked through the night to contain the fire. The blaze destroyed over 25 hectares of native bushland and burned power lines, trees, fences, and a shed. No homes were lost. Incident controller Paul Postma said, "We have got a fire break all the way around the fire, but there is still a significant risk to the community. We’ve had power lines burnt. We’ve had trees burnt. It’s still not controlled, we have the fire inside a box – contained within mineral earth brakes put in by dozers and front-end loaders, and it’s going to take us a number of hours to make sure that we get the fire controlled." The fire remained contained but not fully controlled as changing weather conditions could worsen the situation. An evacuation center opened at High Wycombe Community and Recreation Centre to support residents on alert. The teenager was due to appear in Perth magistrates court on Thursday.