‘A very sad day’: Firefighter killed in NSW bushfire zone

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A national parks firefighter has died after being struck by a tree in a bushfire zone north of Newcastle on Sunday night.

Emergency services were called to Little Nugra Road, Nerong, about 10.45pm on Sunday, where police discovered the man, who was attended to by paramedics but died at the scene.

At least four homes were destroyed in the Bulahdelah fire on the weekend.

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 kilometres north of Newcastle. It spans 3414 hectares, is at advice level and is being controlled. The NSW Rural Fire Service has advised those in Nerong and nearby areas to monitor conditions and follow the directions of emergency services 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 in many ways a dangerous profession, and we’re deeply indebted to the men and women that devote their time to keeping us safe.”

Sixteen homes were destroyed by fires in Koolewong on Saturday.

There are 60 fires burning across the state on Monday morning, with nine uncontained, and no evacuation orders in place.

It comes after 16 homes in the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong and four in the Bulahdelah fire zone were destroyed over the weekend.

Moderate rainfall has reduced hazard risks over the past 24 hours, though authorities have urged at-risk communities to continue monitoring conditions as they evolve across the summer.

RFS Superintendent Ben Shepherd forecast some “reprieve” on Monday, but signalled more danger for Tuesday and into the weekend.

Premier Chris Minns visits areas affected by the Koolewong bushfire on Sunday.

“Wednesday it’ll start to drop back down again, but towards the weekend, it’s starting to show signs of some high fire danger,” Shepherd told 2GB.

“We need some really good rain to soak in, take the sting out of the fires that are there … we could continue to have these waves of high fire risk, and we just need everyone to be aware of that.”

Minns said the bushfires in Koolewong could represent “pretty dark harbingers” for the summer period, after a historically wet August prevented firefighters from conducting hazard reduction burns in winter.

“We’re going to need people to follow advice, listen to emergency services, download the Hazards Near Me app so that they’ve got the latest up-to-date information,” Minns said.

“And if you’re asked to go and leave your home, I can promise you firefighters and police are not doing that because they’re trying to inconvenience you, they’re doing it to try to save your life.”

A natural disaster has been declared to activate assistance for communities on the Central Coast, the Mid-North Coast and Upper Hunter regions, as well as in Dubbo in the state’s west, allowing for a suite of measures to help residents, businesses, primary producers and councils.