A volunteer firefighter has been killed and dozens of homes destroyed as a severe bushfire emergency grips parts of Australia, signalling what authorities warn is the start of a dangerous summer fire season.
Tragedy on the Fireground
The 59-year-old volunteer died on Sunday night after a tree fell on him while he was working on a fireground near Bulahdelah, approximately 200km north of Sydney. Emergency crews reported the man went into cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated, dying at the scene.
Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Trent Curtin confirmed the firefighter was battling a blaze that had already razed 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) and destroyed four homes over the weekend. Firefighters expect to be fighting the fire for several more days.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute, stating the "terrible news is a sombre reminder" of the dangers faced by emergency service workers. "We honour that bravery, every day," he said in an official statement.
Widespread Destruction Across Two States
On Monday, more than 50 bushfires were burning across New South Wales, with nine of them listed as out of control by the RFS. The fires destroyed around 20 homes over the weekend, including at least 16 on the Central Coast, a commuter region just north of Sydney.
In one of the worst-hit areas, Koolewong, residents described fleeing with only seconds to spare. "You had no time to even think... we've lost everything, all we've got left is what we're wearing," one resident told the BBC. Another local, Rouchelle Doust, told the ABC of a neighbour's desperate efforts: "He’s up there in his bare feet trying to put it out… everything’s in it… it’s all gone, the whole lot."
Meanwhile, on the island state of Tasmania, a 700-hectare blaze at Dolphin Sands destroyed 19 homes and damaged 40 others. Local official Dick Shaw told the ABC that while the fire is now contained, the road remains closed and it is "not yet safe for residents to return."
A High-Risk Fire Season Ahead
Australia is facing what authorities describe as a "high-risk" bushfire season. Forecasters have warned of extreme heat between December and February, following several milder summers influenced by the La Niña weather pattern.
New South Wales is among the country's most fire-prone regions. Experts state the climate crisis is exacerbating the risk by raising temperatures, drying out vegetation, and extending the length of the fire season. This grim reality echoes the catastrophic Black Summer fires of 2019–2020, which burned an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.
Although conditions eased overnight, allowing warnings to be downgraded, fire crews in NSW and Tasmania warn that heat, wind, and dry vegetation remain a major concern. They anticipate conditions will worsen again later this week as temperatures climb.
