LODDS

Two Australian Firefighters Die in Wildland Fire

Feb. 15, 2013

Two Australian firefighters were killed fighting a massive blaze in Victoria's alpine region when a tree fell on the vehicle they occupied.

Source ABC Premium News (Australia)

The second firefighter killed while battling a massive blaze in Victoria's alpine region has been named as 34-year-old Steven Kadar from Corryong in Victoria.

He and 19-year-old Katie Peters of Tallandoon were working on the Harrietville blaze yesterday when a tree fell on their vehicle in the remote Buckland Valley.

Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) confirmed Mr Kadar's name in a statement this evening.

"Steven was a highly valued and experienced firefighter and very much respected by his colleagues," it said.

The statement said Mr Kadar first started with the DSE as a project firefighter in 2004 and later took on a role as a full-time field services officer.

Flags across Victoria flew at half-mast today as a mark of respect.

Cesar Melhem from the Australian Workers Union (AWU) says the firefighters' colleagues are receiving support.

"These firefighters are a very close group of people, they do depend on each other so I would say at this point in time they would be in a state of shock losing their comrades," he said.

"We have some of our officials on the scene as well to provide support to these firefighters and hopefully they'll be able to pull through."

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has offered his condolences to the families of those killed.

"The tragic loss of these two firefighters will affect all those who have been fighting these fires and protecting Victorian communities," he said in a statement.

The Harrietville fire has burned through 27,000 hectares since it was started by lightning on January 21.

Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley says specialist forest firefighters will arrive in the next two days from NSW and New Zealand to assist local crews.

"We don't believe these alpine fires will come under control until we have decent rain, which is why we have a plan that goes on for a number of weeks with all our resources including interstate and international," he said.