A man has died after a tree fell on his car during a bushfire in WA’s Great Southern region on Tuesday night.
The small farming town of Ongerup, near Ravensthorpe, was under an emergency alert warning when the man’s vehicle was crushed on Old Ongerup Road in Mindarabin.
The blaze has burnt through more than 5000 hectares.
St John Ambulance paramedics were called to the scene around 7.45pm, but did not transport anyone to hospital.
The incident occurred within the active fire zone on a closed road. It’s not yet clear if the man was a civilian, or involved in the firefighting effort.
Resident had earlier in the afternoon been advised to evacuate their homes, with a temporary evacuation centre set up at Pingerup Race Club, however, by 2.30pm, residents were told it was too late to leave.
“Fire has impacted evacuation routes and leaving now will put your life in danger,” the alert read.
“You need to identify a room in your home where you can shelter from the approaching fire.”
The blaze was downgraded to a watch and act alert at 7.45pm.
More than 100 firefighters remained at the scene on Wednesday strengthening containment lines, with the fire, which is now stationary, having burnt through more than 5000 hectares.
The man’s death comes two weeks after Shire of Ravensthorpe deputy president Mark Mudie was killed in a bushfire while trying to establish a firebreak on his West River farm.
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