WA man dies in bushfire after tree falls on car
A man died after a tree fell on his car during a bushfire in Western Australia’s Great South region on Tuesday night.
The small farming town of Ongerup, near Ravensthorpe, was under an emergency alert after the man’s vehicle was crushed on Old Ongerup Road in Mindarabin.
St John Ambulance paramedics were called to the scene at around 7.45pm but did not take anyone to hospital.
The incident occurred in an active fire area on a closed road. It is not yet clear whether the man was a civilian or was participating in firefighting efforts.
Residents were advised to evacuate with a temporary evacuation center set up at Pingerup Racing Club in the early afternoon, but at 2.30pm residents were told it was too late to leave.
“The fire has affected evacuation routes and leaving now will endanger your life,” the warning read.
“You need to designate a room in your home where you can be protected from an approaching fire.”
The fire was downgraded to watch and act alert at 7.45pm.
More than 100 firefighters remained on the scene Wednesday and the fire, which is now stationary, has burned more than 5,000 hectares.
The man’s death comes two weeks after Shire of Ravensthorpe deputy chief Mark Mudie was killed in a bushfire while trying to install a firebreak at his West River farm.
