Father of three killed fighting fires
Bushfire tragedy struck again today when a father of three was killed while fighting blazes, leaving his family and town devastated.
David Black became the second casualty of the NSW bushfires when his plane crashed as he was trying to put out a blaze in bushland in the state's south.
Wednesday’s horror conditions saw firies battling to protect homes and lives before cooler conditions this morning.
However, confirmation of the ongoing deadly nature of the situation came when David Black was killed - with fire tonight preventing rescue crews recovering the body.
And with the Rural Fire Service reeling from the news, two fires, at Mt Victoria and State Mine flared up again to an Emergency warning as the danger continued, although conditions have since calmed and they were downgraded to watch and alert by 7pm.
Narromine Shire mayor Bill McAnally said the Trangie community had been floored by news of the pilot's death.
"It is a terrible tragedy. He was a great bloke, a great asset to the community," he told AAP.
The pilot, from Rebel Ag, was responding to several blazes in the Budawang National Park when his fixed-wing waterbomber crashed in remote bushland west of Ulladulla.
"It is a dangerous game. I just hope that fire wasn't deliberately lit," Mr McAnally said.
Flight instructor Barry Hanchard, of Narromine Ultralights, which operates in the next town over from Trangie, said the man would be very badly missed.
"He was well liked. He lived for flying," he said.
"He would have devoted his whole life until they took his licence from him. Firefighting and aerial crop spraying - that was his life. There's a lot of sad people in the two towns."
Police confirmed the death after helicopter crews winched personnel down to the crash site in what was hoped might be a rescue mission.
But flames and fierce winds in the rugged bushland forced them to retreat before they could retrieve his body.
Supt Cassar could not confirm reports one of the plane's wings was torn off, but said the crash was believed to have sparked another smaller fire.
He said everyone would be thinking about the pilot's family.
"It's not only tough for the individual's colleagues, it's tough for everybody involved in this firefighting operation," Supt Cassar said.
"That is the nature of the business, and the risks that are associated with this sort of response."
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the death would affect firefighters as well as the man's family.
"It's a tragedy for the fire fighting community, but first and foremost it's a tragedy for this man's family," Mr Fitzsimmons said.
"He's a husband with young children and we're all acutely aware that there's a family suffering today because their dad didn't come home."
INFORMATION AND HELP
NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line - 1800 679 737
NSW Disaster Welfare Assistance Line – 1800 018 444
Locating persons - Police Information line – 1800 227 228
Red Cross - 9229 4249
Salvation Army - 9264 1711
Bush fire survival plan
Danger not over
Some 60 bushfires continued to burn across NSW and tiny bush communities on the fringes of the Blue Mountains spent much of the day on emergency notice as the massive State Mine Fire flared up.
The State Mine Fire has burned through nearly 50,000 hectares since it was sparked during an army explosives training operation near Lithgow last week.
Waterbombing operations in the area have helped crews gain the upper hand and the fire was downgraded back to watch and act early on Thursday evening.
Mr Fitzsimmons said the tiny communities of Mount Irvine and Mount Wilson had been forced to shelter in place because fire had blocked major access roads, while residents from Berambing and Mount Tomah were able to flee east towards Bilpin.
An RFS spokesman has warned there will be little respite for communities who have been on edge for over a week and for the 1400 firefighters still on the job.
He told reporters late on Thursday that high fire danger weather was likely to linger for at least the next three or four days.
He conceded any residents who are asked to leave their homes yet again may become "frustrated" but he's urged people in bushfire areas to continue to heed official warnings, saying the danger remains real.
Governor General Quentin Bryce will tour bushfire hit parts of the mountains on Friday.
Insurance bill at $130m
More than 1000 insurance claims have been made by people who have lost homes and property in the NSW bushfires, with the bill estimated at more than $130 million.
During the eight days large bushfires raged in the Blue Mountains more than 200 home were lost and more than 100 damaged.
Assessors have been able to access some areas but with many towns yet to be declared safe, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) expects the number of claims and damage bill to rise.
"Insurance companies are standing by and are ready to roll," an ICA spokesman told AAP.
The claims cover houses, contents, boats and motor vehicles among other items.
Representatives from insurance companies and the ICA are at evacuation and recovery centres, and the ICA spokesman recommends people visit them and lodge claims as soon as possible.
They will also be at a community meeting at Springwood on Friday evening.
Boys caught trying to light fire
Police have urged parents to be aware of what their children are up to after two eight-year-old boys were found trying to start a fire in East Maitland in the NSW Hunter region.
Police said that shortly after 6.30pm (AEDT) on Wednesday officers and firefighters were called to a block of vacant land in Quarry Street by a concerned member of the public.
Two boys aged eight were detained after being found with a lighter which was later found to be not working.
Police were told the boys were seen attempting to set fire to dry leaves and grass they had collected.
Officers located the boys' parents and spoke with them and completed child at risk notifications due to their actions.
Due to their age no charges can be laid, police said.
