A man has been charged over the death of Victoria’s third bushfire victim, an on-duty Forest Fires Management worker.
The 46-year-old man from Alexandra was charged on Monday with dangerous driving causing the death over the fatal head-on car crash in that Mat Kavanagh, 43 and seriously injured his colleague.
The accused man had been fighting for life in hospital after the collision on the Goulburn Valley Highway at Thornton on January 3, while a 47-year-old ute driver was injured.
He has been remanded to appear in court on April 28.
The charges come as the fire threat across the state’s east was slightly downgraded, with all alerts across the Victoria sitting at a watch and act level or lower by mid-Monday.
Milder weather is forecast across the week, and rain developing in the state’s east on Wednesday and extending at least until Saturday.
Rain is set to ease bushfire conditions and provide much-needed relief for NSW fire crews who are focused on strengthening containment lines across active blazes.
NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Anthony Bradstreet said fire conditions are expected to ease on Monday and throughout the week with rain on the horizon.
“We would love rain everywhere,” he told AAP on Monday.
“Hopefully we will receive some good rainfall in fire affected areas.”
If this @BOM_NSW rainfall forecast comes to fruition then this will be all of our Christmas, birthday, engagement, anniversary, wedding and graduation presents rolled into one. Fingers crossed. #NSWRFS #nswfires pic.twitter.com/R9VfD0bqu2
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 12, 2020
Rain is forecast for pockets of the central and northern coasts on Monday, with thunderstorms and showers forecast for most of NSW on Thursday when up to 25 millimetres is expected to fall on parts of the South Coast.
Mr Bradstreet warned thunderstorms could create the risk of falling trees and landslips.
Crews will take advantage of the easing conditions to establish and strengthen containment lines for some 40 bushfires which are not yet contained, he added.
The RFS has said there are more than 100 fires still burning across the state and many will take some time to fully contain.
Air quality across much of the state including Sydney was very poor on Monday as a result of smoke from the bushfires.
Hazardous air quality was recorded in parts of Sydney’s northwest, southwest, the Illawarra, Albury and Wagga Wagga.
Firefighters on Sunday brought under control one of the county’s most damaging blazes – the Gospers Mountain fire which has burned for two-and-a-half months northwest of Sydney.
“After lightning started the fire on October 26, it has burnt through more than 512,000 hectares across the Lithgow, Hawkesbury, Hunter Valley, Cudgegong, Blue Mountains and Central Coast local government areas,” the Hawkesbury RFS said on Facebook.
“It is important to remember not to be complacent as there are still a few months of the bushfire season to go with some bushland that still has not been burnt.”
Despite the respite in Victoria, temperatures will hover about 30 degrees and winds are still gusting, meaning the danger lingers and fires show no sign of relenting.
“These fires aren’t out and they’re not going to be out until they burn themselves out or we finish with a really big rain event,” Premier Daniel Andrews told KIIS FM radio on Monday.
“The weather bureau’s not telling us that’s likely.”
There are 19 active fires across Victoria, more than 1.3 million hectares have been burnt and 1500 firefighters remain on the job.
This WATCH & ACT – BUSHFIRE message is being issued for Bemm River, Cann River, Furnell, Hilo Crossing, Noorinbee, Noorinbee North, Tamboon, Tamboon South, Tonghi Creek, Wingan River.
More details at https://t.co/KpBNTdLIbb pic.twitter.com/9eZbIUa7Bx
— CFA Updates (@CFA_Updates) January 12, 2020
While hundreds of properties and structures have been lost to the fires, so have the lives of four men.
Wonthaggi father of two Bill Slade, 60, was working at the edge of a fire at Anglers Rest, near Omeo, when he was struck by a tree on Saturday, becoming the fourth death.
Mr Slade had worked on major fire incidents in the past including the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires.
“Bill was a much loved colleague, friend and member of the Wonthaggi community. He’ll be sorely missed by Parks Victoria,” Parks Victoria chief Matt Jackson said.
Poor and very poor air quality conditions due to the bushfires are forecast statewide, with smoke and haze in the east, northeast and central Victoria.
Visibility has been reduced to about 500m in East Gippsland and about 5 kilometres in Melbourne due to smoke from fires in the state’s far east and NSW.
-with AAP
The post Man charged over firefighter death as immediate bushfire threat recedes appeared first on The New Daily.
**Business and Marketing support on best price; Hit the link now----> http://bit.ly/2HsQmSi