Australian bushfires raze homes in two states; firefighter dies

8/12/2025 12:04

An Australian firefighter was killed overnight after he was struck by a tree while trying to control a bushfire that had destroyed homes and burnt large swathes of bushland north of Sydney, authorities said on Monday.



Emergency crews rushed to bushland near the rural town of Bulahdelah, 200 km north of Sydney, after reports that a tree had fallen on a man. The 59-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the scene, officials said.



Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the "terrible news is a sombre reminder" of the dangers faced by emergency services personnel as they work to protect homes and families.



"We honour that bravery, every day," Albanese said in a statement.



A fast-moving fire over the weekend destroyed 16 homes in New South Wales state's Central Coast region, home to about 350,000 people and a commuter region just north of Sydney.



Conditions eased overnight, allowing officials to downgrade fire danger alerts, though the weather bureau warned some inland towns in the state could hit more than 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, raising fire dangers.