Firefighter dies in NSW as premier warns of ‘foreboding’ start to state’s bushfire season

2025-12-07 21:29

A firefighter has died on the New South Wales mid-north coast, as the state’s premie issued a warning about a “foreboding beginning” to the bushfire season.

The deputy secretary of the NSW national parks and wildlife service, Alex Graham, on Monday said she was very saddened to confirm the death of one of their firefighters overnight.

“At approximately 11pm Sunday the firefighter was struck by a tree while working on a bushfire at Bulahdelah on the state’s mid-north coast,” she said in a statement.

“Fellow firefighters provided first aid until NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived at the scene. Our thoughts are with the firefighter’s family during this difficult time.”

The premier, Chris Minns, said it was “obviously a terrible reminder of how difficult and dangerous this work is and how the people who put their lives on the line to protect lives and property do an incredible job”.

“It’s a deeply distressing turn of events, and a sad day for New South Wales this morning,” Minns told ABC News Breakfast.

There were about 700 firefighters across NSW working on Monday morning to contain blazes, including nine that remained uncontained.

Minns said it was “quite a foreboding beginning to the bushfire season”, being only a couple days into summer.

Jihad Dib, the NSW emergency services minister, said the death was a reminder of the dangers that firefighters face.

“These are people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect community, and this particular person has made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “It’s a very, very sad day for all of us.”

On Sunday evening the NSW rural fire service said 16 houses had been destroyed in a fire in Koolewong, not far from built-up areas on the Central Coast, with a further nine houses damaged and seven outbuildings destroyed. No lives were reported lost.

Storms and damaging winds will keep fire danger high across parts of Australia with authorities calling for vigilance after a weekend of significant losses.

On Sunday Minns said December was shaping up as a particularly tough period for fire danger, owing to westerly winds and warmer waters off the Pacific Ocean.

“Unfortunately we’re likely to have more volatile weather periods in the years ahead due to the changing climate,” Minns said.

Another four homes were lost at Bulahdelah.

With easing conditions across NSW, firefighters supported by aircraft were continuing to strengthen containment lines.

But authorities urged the community to stay vigilant.

Federal and state disaster assistance funding has been activated across the Central Coast, Mid Coast, Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Warrumbungle and Dubbo.

More than 250 firefighters, 50 trucks and nine aircraft battled the Koolewong blaze at its peak.

Meanwhile in Tasmania, authorities have confirmed a 700-hectare blaze at Dolphin Sands, near Freycinet National Park on the state’s east coast, was contained after overnight rain.

Nineteen homes were destroyed and 14 others sustained some damage in the fire sparked in the seaside community on Thursday.

More than 120 sheds, caravans, water tanks, carports, garages, electricity transmissions were also damaged.

“With increasing winds and debris still present on properties, conditions pose safety risks to the community,” Tasmania’s fire and emergency services commissioner Jeremy Smith said.

Australia’s national annual average temperature is about 1.5C higher than in 1910, according to the BoM, and the climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.