The farmer who died fighting a bushfire threatening his property on Western Australia's south coast has been identified as Shire of Ravensthorpe deputy president Mark Mudie.
Mudie, 59, was building a firebreak with a front-end loader on his property at West River, near Ravensthorpe, when his vehicle was overwhelmed with flames.
Police said he died at the scene.
WA Liberal senator Slade Brockman said Mudie was a hard-working farmer and community member.
Mark Mudie was a leader who "worked tirelessly for his community", according to a state senator. Credit: Shire of Ravensthorpe
Peter Rundle, the local MP for the region, paid tribute to Mudie in state parliament.
"I know him well and have talked to him about many issues in the in the Ravensthorpe community," he said.
WA Premier Roger Cook said it was a "desperately sad situation" that would leave a "lasting impact" on the tight-knit local community.
"A fire is a traumatic event for any community, but when it's combined with a loss of life, that's devastating, so our hearts are going out to them today," he said.
WA Police said the fire was not being treated as suspicious.
Parts of the state were under a total fire ban on Tuesday.
A home was lost in the West Australian regional town of Geraldton on Monday as more fires burned out of control.
Detectives are investigating whether arsonists lit some of the fires that also claimed sheds and cars, and threatened hundreds of other properties, including an aged care facility.
WA Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said: "That is appalling behaviour, totally unacceptable and [police] are going to be focused on identifying the culprits and bringing them to justice."
He also criticised drone operators flying their aircraft near the blaze.
"There has been an incredibly concerning situation where a number of people have been operating private drones in the vicinity of the fire," he said.
"This is ridiculous behaviour, incredibly dangerous and can impede, if not endanger, the firefighting crew in those aircraft and potentially result in loss of life and infrastructure," Papalia said.
"It must stop."
In NSW, fires were burning in the Goulburn River National Park and the Hunter Valley region, following hot, dry conditions on Monday that sparked dozens of fires.
On Monday, more than 500 firefighters and incident management personnel were deployed around the state.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press
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