A farmer in his 60s has died while fighting a fast-moving bushfire near Ravensthorpe on Western Australia's south coast. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when the man, believed to be a local resident, was operating a front-end loader to establish a firebreak on his property in West River. His vehicle became engulfed by flames, and he died at the scene.
The blaze was one of two emergency-level bushfires in the state on the first day of summer. At its peak, about 100 firefighters and water bombers battled the fire, which was hampered by gusty northerly winds. The West River region, home to large-scale crop farms, is in the middle of the annual grain harvest, and there has been significant damage to crops.
WA Premier Roger Cook described the death as devastating, saying it would have a lasting impact on the tight-knit community of Ravensthorpe. 'A fire is a traumatic event for any community but when it is combined with a loss of life, that is devastating,' he said. Firefighters continued to battle the blaze on Tuesday morning, with several warnings in place.
Meanwhile, three volunteer firefighters suffered burns while fighting another fire in Wagin, more than 200km south-east of Perth. Two men in their 60s and a woman in her 30s were inside a fire truck when it was overrun by flames. They were taken to a local hospital, with one man possibly requiring surgery in Perth for burns to his back. The Wagin blaze, reported on Monday evening, is still not under control.
