As it happened: WA news on Monday, February 2

We’re bringing our live blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s a recap of some of the day’s headlines:

• WA Police are reminding drivers of the increase in traffic on the roads and 40km/h school zones as students head back to school for 2026.

• A woman has been accused of stabbing a man known to her during an altercation at a Thornlie house on Sunday night.

• Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart was the largest donor to Advance Australia in the last financial year, giving almost $900,000 to the conservative lobby group.

• WA Premier Roger Cook has indicated that Commonwealth authorities may be preparing to make a call on whether the incident was a terrorist act in the next few days.

• Traffic around the now closed Fremantle Bridge is apparently flowing freely this morning, in its first real test of peak hour traffic since it shut for 12 months on Sunday.

• The WA government has reversed a long-standing McGowan government era-policy and will start pouring full-strength beer at Optus Stadium from the start of this AFL season.

• A mother and her two children have been rescued off the coast of Quindalup after her eldest child, 13, who was swept out to sea with them, swam four kilometres back to shore in fading light to get help.

• A woman has been freed after becoming trapped under a forklift at a bus depot in Champion Lakes.

Thank you again for tuning in today. We’ll be back with more news you need to know tomorrow morning.

A woman has been freed after becoming trapped under a forklift at a bus depot in Champion Lakes.

DFES and St John Ambulance crews are at the scene at the Kelmscott bus depot after being called out just before 4pm.

The firefighters managed to free the woman, who is currently being treated by paramedics.

And as soon as it flared up, the warning for the bushfire burning near Costco in Casuarina has been downgraded to a watch and act.

The new warning covers an area bounded by Thomas Road, Bombay Boulevard, Newbold Road, Market Street, Market Street and Orton Road.

DFES advised the alert had been downgraded as the fire was contained but not controlled.

Residents in the area are urged to stay alert as there remained a possible threat to lives and homes.

Thomas Road remains closed between Central Avenue and Newbold Road.

For the latest updates on bushfire warnings, visit Emergency WA or download the Emergency WA app from the App Store or Google Play, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Facebook, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins.

If you thought it was warm in Perth last night, you’re not wrong.

The mercury dipped to just 26.9 degrees overnight at around 5am after hovering in the 30s until 10.30pm, making it a sweaty night for Ed Sheeran concert-goers at Optus Stadium.

The hottest February night on record is 27.7 degrees, recorded on February 17 in 2004.

More recently, the temperate only dipped to 27.5 degrees on February 19 in 2024.

A mother and her two children have been rescued off the coast of Quindalup after her eldest child, 13, who was swept out to sea with them, swam four kilometres back to shore in fading light to get help.

The family had been kayaking and paddleboarding in Geographe Bay when they were swept out to sea in rough conditions.

The 13-year-old tried to kayak back to shore to sound the alarm, but his kayak took on water, forcing him to swim four kilometres to land.

A search was launched and at about 8.30pm, a woman, 47, a boy, 12, and a girl, 8, were found clinging to a paddleboard about 14 kilometres offshore.

WA Police South West District Inspector James Bradley said the rescue was a reminder that ocean conditions could change rapidly.

“Thankfully, all three people were wearing lifejackets, which contributed to their survival,” he said.

“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough – his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings.”

Traffic around the now closed Fremantle Bridge is apparently flowing freely this morning, in its first real test of peak hour traffic since it shut for 12 months on Sunday.

Premier Roger Cook said Main Roads had informed him traffic was flowing, although there was obviously “some congestion” around the area.

“This is something that’s been planned for literally years, and it’s an important day to really test all that planning and preparation,” he said.

“It’s obviously going to put pressure on Stirling Bridge, so I invite everyone to do what they can to work with Main Roads and the traffic management teams to make sure we can move through this situation freely.”