SYDNEY, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- A man has died while trying to protect his property from a bushfire on the south coast of the Australian state of Western Australia (WA).
Police in WA said on Tuesday that the farmer, aged in his 60s, was using a heavy construction vehicle to try to establish a firebreak on his property near the small town of Ravensthorpe, over 400 km southeast of Perth, on Monday afternoon, when the vehicle became engulfed in flames.
Ambulance paramedics were deployed, but the man died at the scene.
Firefighters were continuing to try to contain the fire on Tuesday morning.
A warning issued by the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said that local residents should continue to stay alert, keep their doors and windows closed to keep out smoke, and be ready to extinguish spot fires. ■