National parks firefighter killed at Nerong after being struck by tree
A national park firefighter died after being struck by a tree in the bushfire zone north of Newcastle on Sunday night.
Emergency services were called to Little Nugra Road in Nerong at around 10.45pm on Sunday, where police found the man, who was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
WorkSafe has been notified of the death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
The Bulahdelah fire is burning on both sides of the Pacific Highway, about 90 kilometers north of Newcastle. It covers an area of 3414 hectares, is at advisory level and is controlled. The NSW Rural Fire Service has advised people in Nerong and nearby areas to monitor conditions and follow instructions from emergency service personnel.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was “heartbroken” by the man’s death.
“It’s a very sad day for firefighters and the NSW community,” Minns told Nine’s. Today. “This is a dangerous profession in many ways, and we owe a great debt to the men and women who dedicate their time to keeping us safe.”
There are 60 fires statewide as of Monday morning, nine out of control and no evacuation orders.
It comes after 16 homes in the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong and four homes in the Bulahdelah fire zone were destroyed over the weekend.
Moderate rainfall has reduced hazard risks over the past 24 hours, but officials urged at-risk communities to continue monitoring as conditions improve throughout the summer.
RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd predicted some “delay” on Monday but signaled further danger for Tuesday and the weekend.
“It will start to fall again on Wednesday, but it’s starting to show signs of high fire danger towards the weekend,” Shepherd told 2GB.
“We need really good rain to get wet, we need to ease the pain of the current fires… we may continue to have these waves of high fire risk and we need everyone to be aware of that.”
Minns said the Koolewong bushfires could be “pretty dark harbingers” for the summer, after a historically wet August prevented firefighters from carrying out winter hazard-reducing burns.
“We will need people to follow the advice, listen to emergency services, download the Dangers Near Me app so they have the most up-to-date information,” Minns said.
“And if you are asked to leave your home, I can assure you that the firefighters and police are not doing it because they are trying to harass you, they are doing it to save your life.”
A natural disaster has been declared to mobilize aid for communities across the Central Coast, Mid-North Coast and Upper Hunter regions, as well as Dubbo in the state’s west, allowing for a range of measures to help residents, businesses, primary producers and councils.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously ran The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s national news live blog.Connect via email.
