‘Prepare now’: Blaze that killed firefighter flares up again

A community is mourning the death of a firefighter, as the days-long blaze he died battling flares further.

The experienced firefighter was helping colleagues prepare for a tactical burn north of Newcastle when he was struck and killed by a tree on Sunday night.

His death is the first bushfire fatality of the summer, which NSW Premier Chris Minns said had already been marked by “dark harbingers” of the threat facing the state after the loss of 20 homes over the weekend.

Residents were again warned to prepare their properties or prepare to leave as the blaze intensified on Monday afternoon.

Smoke drifting down the coast could potentially be seen and smelled as far away as Sydney, the NSW Rural Fire Service advised.

The fire south of Bulahdelah on the state’s Mid North Coast has burnt through 4129 hectares since it started on Thursday and is moving south-easterly towards Nerong.

Residents there and nearby have been advised to monitor conditions and follow the directions of emergency services personnel.

Local Glenn Nisbet said some Nerong residents had left due to concern about the bushfire.

“But the majority of the people in the village have realised, well, there seems to be great support, great information dissemination,” he told Nine News.

“So we feel confident about staying. We’ve been advised if we’re under real threat, we’ll know very quickly – there’ll be a dozen fire trucks here to help us out.”

There were 43 fires burning across the state at 7.30pm on Monday, with 13 not yet under control. There are no evacuation orders in place.

The 59-year-old firefighter was overseeing preparations for a back-burn on both sides of the Pacific Highway at Nerong about 10.45pm on Sunday when he was struck by the tree. He is believed to have gone into cardiac arrest.

The divisional commander and field officer was part of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife firefighting service, which counts more than 1000 firefighters in its ranks. He joined the service in 1996, and worked out of the Lake Munmorah Rural Fire Brigade for the past 25 years.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said the man was checking in on colleagues and ensuring his team’s safety when he was killed.

“His efforts on the fire ground to make sure that our firefighters were safe, and our firefighters were informed about all the things that needed to happen on the fire ground, are just testimony for the work that he performed,” Curtin said.

“This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice that our firefighters make. There is something deeply Australian about people who put themselves forward to protect our community in their time of need.”

WorkSafe has been notified of the death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service deputy secretary Alex Graham said the man’s death would be subject to an investigation.

The Lake Munmorah Rural Fire Brigade said it was “absolutely devastating to our entire team”.

“This tragedy serves as a solemn reminder of the extreme sacrifices and dangers faced by all emergency service personnel during these challenging times,” they said online.

The NSW premier said he was “heartbroken” by the firefighter’s death.

“It’s a very sad day for firefighters and the NSW community,” Minns told Nine’s Today. “This is in many ways a dangerous profession, and we’re deeply indebted to the men and women that devote their time to keeping us safe.”

NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the firefighter who died “paid the ultimate sacrifice”.

“In trying to protect the community, he has lost his own life,” Dib said on Monday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his condolences to the “loved ones and colleagues” of the man, saying that “all Australians are thinking of you in your time of grief”.

Sixteen homes in the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong and four in the Bulahdelah fire zone were destroyed over the weekend.

Moderate rainfall has reduced hazard risks over the past 24 hours, though authorities have urged at-risk communities to continue monitoring conditions across the summer.

RFS Superintendent Ben Shepherd forecast some “reprieve” on Monday, but signalled more danger for Tuesday and into the weekend.

“Wednesday, it’ll start to drop back down again, but towards the weekend, it’s starting to show signs of some high fire danger,” Shepherd told 2GB.

“We need some really good rain to soak in, take the sting out of the fires that are there … we could continue to have these waves of high fire risk, and we just need everyone to be aware of that.”

Minns said the bushfires in Koolewong could represent “pretty dark harbingers” for the summer period after a historically wet August prevented firefighters from conducting hazard reduction burns in winter.

He urged people to listen to advice from emergency services and download alert apps.

“And if you’re asked to go and leave your home, I can promise you firefighters and police are not doing that because they’re trying to inconvenience you – they’re doing it to try to save your life,” Minns said.

A natural disaster has been declared to activate assistance for communities on the Central Coast, the Mid North Coast and Upper Hunter regions, as well as in Dubbo in the state’s west, allowing for a suite of measures to help residents, businesses, primary producers and councils.

Updates on the status of NSW fires can be found at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me or call the Bush Fire information line on 1800 679 737. To report a fire emergency, phone 000.

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