A WESTERN Australian farmer has died while responding to a bushfire near Ravensthorpe. 

West River farmer and deputy president at the Shire of Ravensthorpe, Mark Mudie, lost his life on Monday. Mudie is being remembered as a respected and loved member of his community.

In a statement yesterday the WA Police, referring to Mudie as a "man in his 60's," said he was operating a front-end loader to establish a firebreak when his vehicle was engulfed by flames. He died at the scene. 

The police said the cause of the fire remained under investigation, but was currently not being treated as suspicious.

Nationals WA member for Roe, Peter Rundle, paid tribute to Mudie, saying the region had lost an "exceptional community leader, a dedicated family man, and a respected voice."

"I have had the privilege of knowing Mark for many years. His passing is a devastating loss for the Ravensthorpe and West River communities," Rundle said. 

"Above all, my thoughts are with his wife Elaine, his son Nathan, and all who loved him. Their loss is immeasurable, and they are in the hearts of many."

Rundle said Mudie's death served as a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers faced by those responding to bushfires across WA.

"Farmers understand these risks all too well, and they prepare as best they can, but fire can be unpredictable and unforgiving," he said. 

"It speaks to Mark's great character and courage that he spent his final moments protecting his family farm."

Rundle also paid tribute to the tireless efforts of WA's firefighters, including the many volunteers who have been responding to fires across the Great Southern, South West, and around Geraldton in recent days.

In a brief statement, the Shire of Ravensthorpe said it was "devastated" by Mudie's death. 

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and also all emergency services still working on the fire," the statement said. 

A recent alert issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said the fire, which has burnt around 4200 hectares across Fitzgerald, West Fitzgerald,  West River and Ravensthorpe, was now stationary. 

Several other fires are still burning across WA, with some being treated as suspicious. 

MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE 

Just two weeks ago Rundle called on the WA Government to "do more to keep our regional communities safe and well prepared during this and every fire season."

He said people in Arthur River and Wagin were still waiting for information about what started a fire in January, which burned through 7000ha of farmland and road reserve, sheds, farming equipment, livestock and three homes. 

Rundle said witnesses claimed the fire was started by Western Power wires, but the cause of the fire had still not been confirmed "despite Western Power and Department of Fire and Emergency Services being onsite in the days following the fire." 

He said the office of Building and Energy (B&E) within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (DLGIRS), were responsible for investigating the incident, and visited Wagin recently to interview shire members and landowners, but told the Shire a report into the incident would not be made publicly available. 

When questioning the WA minister for energy, Amber-Jade Sanderson, in November, Rundle pointed out the February 2022 fires that swept through 18,000ha of bushland and farmland near Narrogin and Wickepin, started when Western Power's high-voltage overhead electricity conductors clashed between two power poles.

Rundle said it had also been 10 years since the Esperance fire that claimed four lives, and he claimed it took the state government three years to agree to take on recommendations from the Coroner's inquest.

"I don't want to see the delays and disappointments that faced the communities of Esperance, Narrogin and Wickepin, happen to the Wagin community," he said. 

"The Minister can do more to improve transparency and give information to affected landholders and Shires to prevent this type of event in the future.

"Regardless of whether the fire was started by faulty Western Power infrastructure, I would like the Minister to work with the community of Wagin and Arthur River to reassure them that Western Power infrastructure is maintained and safe heading into this fire season."