A young farmer has been killed in a tragic accident while supporting firefighting efforts against a major bushfire in Western Australia's south.
Tragic Incident on Old Ongerup Road
A 34-year-old man lost his life on Tuesday night after a tree fell onto his vehicle on Old Ongerup Road in Mindarabin. The location is situated more than 300 kilometres south-east of Perth. Police confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 8:10pm, with the falling tree crushing the cab of the vehicle.
The man was a dedicated member of a local farmer response unit and had spent the earlier part of the day assisting professional fire crews combat a large and dangerous blaze. A police spokesperson stated that the man sustained critical injuries and, sadly, died at the scene.
Context of the Bushfire and Second Recent Fatality
The bushfire the farmer was helping to fight had scorched through more than 5,000 hectares and was elevated to emergency level on Tuesday before being later downgraded. This incident marks the second fire-related death in WA in recent weeks.
On 1 December, Mark Mudie, the deputy president of the Ravensthorpe shire, was killed while attempting to establish a firebreak on his West River property. Firefighters across southern parts of the state have been contending with multiple emergency-level blazes this week, ignited by dry lightning amid hot, dry, and windy conditions.
Severe Heatwave Warnings Across Multiple States
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe heatwave warnings for several Western Australian regions, including the Goldfields, Eucla, and Great Southern. The dangerous weather is not confined to WA.
Heatwave warnings are also active for the south coast of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and parts of Victoria, including East Gippsland and South Gippsland. In response to forecast temperatures in the low 40s Celsius and moderate winds, Victoria's Country Fire Authority has declared a total fire ban for the Wimmera region on Thursday.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan warned that the conditions would make fire suppression extremely difficult. He also urged farmers, who are battling prolonged drought, to postpone paddock work due to the high risk of ignition from agricultural machinery.
The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
