A farmer working to save his property from the rapidly spreading forest fire died when his vehicle caught fire.
The man, aged in his 60s, was driving a front-end loader and trying to put out the blaze in West River, about 500km south-east of Perth on Monday afternoon.
Police said the man, believed to be a local, had been fighting a major fire which was threatening several homes near Ravensthorpe.
He died on the spot as the fire spread across the area and burnt about 300 hectares of agricultural land.
Emergency services responded to reports of homes in danger around West River Road and Fitzgerald Road at 2.20pm on Monday.
“The circumstances surrounding the man’s death will be investigated by WA Police, who will prepare a report for the coroner,” a police statement said.
“The cause of the fire is being investigated but is not being treated as suspicious at this time.”
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A Bushfire Watch and ACT warning is current for the West River and West Fitzgerald areas.
“There is a potential threat to life and homes as the fire continues to burn in the area and conditions are changing,” the warning said.
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Bushfires have plagued the state, with one home destroyed and hundreds of people rescued as firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze in the regional town of Geraldton.
Detectives are investigating whether arsonists started some of the fires, which also included sheds and cars and threatened hundreds of other properties, including an aged care facility in WA’s midwest.
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