Fallen firefighter ‘greatly missed’ as family cope with profound shock

An experienced firefighter killed preparing for a tactical burn to battle a bushfire on the NSW Mid North Coast has been identified, as his family cope with the “profound shock” of his death.

John Lohan, 59, was killed by a falling tree at Nerong on Sunday night while fighting the Bulahdelah blaze, which has spread over thousands of hectares.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) firefighter’s family thanked the public for their kind words, condolences and support.

“The news of John’s passing has come as a profound shock to us all,” they said in a statement on Tuesday.

“John was a great father, loving brother and wonderful friend to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed.

“We are also deeply grateful to John’s co-workers for their compassion and strength, and we extend a heartfelt thank you to the men and women of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

“Their ongoing contributions to our community often go unrecognised, and we truly value the role they play on the front line every day.”

The family also requested privacy “as we navigate this heartbreaking time”.

The NPWS said Lohan was a “treasured and long-serving member of our staff” based at the Lake Munmorah depot south of Newcastle for almost three decades.

He was working as a divisional commander at the time.

“John lost his life while undertaking a critical leadership role on the fireground, ensuring the safety of his firefighters and the community,” the NPWS said.

The bushfire in the Myall Lakes National Park south of Bulahdelah has burned through 4784 hectares and is burning on both sides of the Pacific Highway, which has been closed multiple times since the fire broke out on Thursday.

Residents have been warned to monitor conditions and plan for what they will do if the situation changes.

Another fire has burned through more than 12,650 hectares in the Goulburn River National Park in the state’s Upper Hunter region, with nearby residents warned to leave now if they are not prepared to defend their properties.

Water-bombing aircraft are supporting firefighters as heavy machinery is used to strengthen containment lines.

In the state’s Central West, an emergency warning was issued for a bushfire at Bogee, north of Lithgow, before being downgraded to watch and act just before 7pm.

The fire near Home Hills Road has burnt about 400 hectares and is not yet under control. Locals have been warned to leave as the fast-burning fire may affect nearby properties.

In Sydney, two boys aged 12 and 13 were arrested on Tuesday afternoon after emergency services were called to a grass fire in a park on Balmoral Road at Kellyville in the city’s north-west.

“It could have got nasty,” Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Charles Begley told Nine News.

“It’s bordering on to residential streets, so five or 10 more metres and it could have gone up to their fence lines.”

Residents were told to evacuate as firefighters battled the blaze.

“I got a knock at the door from the police, and opened the door to fire at the front,” resident Theo Ballas told Nine News.

“Next door wasn’t opening, so we finally got in, got their dogs out.”

In Koolewong on the Central Coast, AusGrid is working to restore power after a bushfire destroyed homes in the area on the weekend.

Rural Fire Service incident controller Superintendent Jonathon Hill said restoring access to properties will take additional time.

“We are dealing with a lot of hazards within the area, including asbestos, structural instability, and also looking at potential geotechnical issues as well,” he said.

“We’re working really hard with our partner agencies to let our residents back in … as soon as we can.”

The fire’s cause and its spread are still being investigated, but Hill said “extremely erratic” wind conditions may have played a role.

“The fire … is a really, really good example of how fast fires can take hold under the right conditions,” Hill said.

“Regardless of how the fire started, the conditions supported rapid fire spread, as we saw.”

The 133-hectare Koolewong fire destroyed 16 homes and damaged nine more.

It has been contained, with firefighters remaining on scene to mop up hotspots and patrol the fireground overnight.

Police have appealed for public assistance in their investigation, setting up a website for people to upload any footage of the fire.

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.

Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.