A farmer has died while fighting a bushfire on Western Australia’s south coast. Authorities say it happened on Monday afternoon near Ravensthorpe, in the West River and West Lake area.
Police said the man, in his 60s and believed to be a local resident, was using a front-end loader to put in a firebreak on his property when the machine was overtaken by flames, and he died at the scene. The fire has burned through about 300 hectares of farmland in a region that is currently in the middle of grain harvest, per news.com.au.
At its peak, around 100 firefighters and water bombers were working on the blaze, with gusty northerly winds making conditions difficult and causing ember attacks ahead of the main front. Thick smoke has affected visibility on South Coast Highway, the major road between Albany and Esperance.
A bushfire watch and act is still in place for people in areas bounded by South Coast Highway, Lake Road, Mallee Road and Koornong Road in West River and West Fitzgerald, in the Shire of Ravensthorpe and the Shire of Jerramungup. Residents in those areas are being urged to stay up to date and be ready to act if conditions change.
WA Police said the cause of the fire is still being investigated but it is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner. Emergency services remain on the ground strengthening containment lines.
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