December 17, 2025 — 11:05am
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Save this article for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Got it
A farmer 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.
WA Police confirmed the man, 34, was part of a local farmer response unit and had earlier been assisting local firefighters.
“Sadly, he sustained critical injuries and died at the scene,” a spokeswoman said.
Shire of Gnowangerup president Kate O’Keeffe said the tragedy was a freak accident that occurred after a huge effort by career and volunteer firefighters to save several homesteads in the area earlier that day.
“The response was swift and comprehensive because the conditions on the day were dire for a fire event with high temperatures and howling, unpredictable winds,” she said.
“There was one homestead where the fire came at it from two separate directions during the day.
“The Old Ongerup Road was burnt on both sides, and it was seriously impacted by fire. There were a lot of trees and bushland on fire, and there were loaders pushing trees back off the road.”
Residents 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 DFES alert read.
The fire was downgraded to a watch and act at 7.45pm.
Related Article
More than 100 firefighters were at the scene on Wednesday strengthening containment lines, with the fire – which is now stationary – having burnt through more than 5000 hectares.
Nationals WA deputy leader Peter Rundle said his thoughts were with the farmer’s family and friends.
“The loss of a young volunteer who stepped forward to protect others is profoundly heartbreaking, and it is a stark reminder of the very real risks faced by those who serve on the front line to keep our communities safe,” he said.
“This tragedy is made even more devastating by the fact that it is the second life lost to bushfire in my electorate in just one month. Communities are exhausted, hurting and grieving, and the cumulative toll of this fire season is being felt deeply across the region.”
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.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
