59-year-old firefighter killed during a back burn on the Mid North Coast

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Firefighters up and down the country are mourning the loss of one of their own. A 59-year-old was killed overnight during a backburn on the mid-north coast. His colleagues are still working to contain the flames there and in other parts of the state.

Transcript

00:00The Bulla Dealer bushfire had already destroyed homes.

00:06Now, it's also claimed a life.

00:09This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice that our firefighters make.

00:13A 59-year-old firefighter with the National Parks and Wildlife Service

00:17was killed during a backburning exercise near the firefront.

00:21A tree fell on this firefighter and tragically he lost his life due to those injuries.

00:25We owe a huge debt of gratitude to every man and woman

00:29who puts their life on the line to protect us.

00:32Firefighters are still battling the Bulla Dealer blaze,

00:35which now covers around 4,000 hectares.

00:38We're here for each other.

00:40Small villages and that have always been there for each other.

00:44Locals are also supporting each other here at Kuliwong on the central coast

00:48where 16 homes were destroyed by fire.

00:51An ex-fiery, Mark Stringfellow, sprang into action on Saturday and grabbed a hose.

00:57There was no pressure. Sprinklers didn't work.

01:00And I got this tiniest little jet out of the hose and I couldn't really do much.

01:05The council says there was no issue with the reservoir level,

01:09but there was a huge number of fire crews drawing on the mains.

01:13It's no different really to turning every tap on in your house.

01:16You're going to experience a pressure loss.

01:19While Mark's house ultimately survived, his next door neighbours did not.

01:24He's praised emergency crews who helped them evacuate during the fast moving fire.

01:29The police did such a fantastic job.

01:31They got Brooke out, the lady who owns the pig.

01:34They put me in a car, police car.

01:36We drove through flames and smoke.

01:38That was when those houses had caught a light down at the railway line.

01:42So it was just so tragic.

01:44A brief return to a site that's largely still off limits.

01:49from the start to write from the start of the rain.

01:50From that point, he's right away.

01:51See, I gotta figure it out.

01:52I gotta get some pretty good news.

01:53If you tell me about the congregation.

01:54You can't even deal with whatever.

01:55It's just so funny.

01:56See, I can't do everything on the road.

01:57He's gone.

01:58That's a little late to the street.

01:59I can't put the package on the side at the back.

02:00I don't even begin.

02:01I can't do anything.

02:02I can't do anything.

02:03I can't do anything.

02:04You can't do anything.

02:05If you tell me, if you tell me.

02:06I can't do anything that I can do anything.

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