Another Forest Fires Management worker died on duty on 3 January and two men were killed in fires at East Gippsland on New Year’s DayA second Victorian firefighter has died battling a blaze in the alpine region, bringing the state’s bushfire death toll to four and 27 nationally. “This is a significant loss for the Forest Fire Management Victoria family and the community as a whole,” its chief fire officer, Chris Hardman, said on Sunday morning. Another Forest Fires Management worker, Mat Kavanagh, 43, died on duty when his vehicle crashed on the Goulburn Valley Highway on 3 January. Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp said “benign conditions” were forecast in coming days, including thunderstorms expected to bring rain. NSW police deputy commissioner Gary Worboys said hundreds of officers were deployed on the NSW south coast to stamp out looting.

Source: The Guardian January 11, 2020 09:07 UTC