Australia bushfires: Firefighter dies, bringing death toll in Victoria to 4

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A firefighter died battling a fire in Victoria's northeast Saturday, bringing the death toll statewide to four, local emergency officials said.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed the firefighter's death and said it brought the total fatalities from the bushfire season in the state of Victoria in southeast Australia to four.

Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said the firefighter was fighting a blaze in Omeo, a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, which is near the Alpine National Park.

The name of the firefighter has not been released.

Police planned to investigate the incident and prepare a report for the coroner.

The firefighter's death follows the death of another Forest Fires Management worker, Mat Kavanagh, 43, who was killed in a car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway while on duty Jan. 3. Kavanagh is survived by his wife, Jude, and two children.

On New Year's Day, two other men, Mick Roberts of Buchan and Fred Becker of Maramingo Creek, died in fires.

Bushfires have raged in East Gippsland since late November as fires across the state have blazed through more than 3 million acres.

A state of disaster was lifted at midnight Saturday after firefighters slowed the progress of a fire that threatened the Alpine towns of Bright and Harrietville in northeast Victoria on Friday night.

Bairnsdale Incident Controller Brett Mitchell said the town came under threat before rain Friday night subdued the fire's intensity.