Farmer dies after suffering severe burns on NSW property

Farmer Dies After Suffering Severe Burns on NSW Property

A farmer has died in hospital after suffering serious burns during a hazard reduction burn on a New South Wales property. The fatal incident highlights the risk farmers face when carrying out routine fire management work on rural land.

What Happened

The fire broke out on Saturday morning near Forbes, NSW. The 75-year-old man became trapped on his tractor after strong winds pushed the fire towards him during the planned burn.

He was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital but died later the same day from his injuries. Farmer Viv Coady suffered serious burns that proved fatal despite emergency treatment.

This tragedy follows a pattern seen across other incidents involving severe burns in NSW, underscoring how quickly conditions can turn dangerous when fire and heavy machinery combine on farm sites.

Why Hazard Reduction Burns Carry Risk

Hazard reduction burns remain essential land management work across rural Australia, but they carry inherent risk when weather conditions shift unexpectedly. Wind changes can turn a controlled burn into a life-threatening emergency within minutes.

Farmers operating plant such as tractors near active fire fronts face limited escape routes if flames advance faster than anticipated. Safety planning must account for:

• Real-time monitoring of wind speed and direction changes
• Clear escape routes for operators working plant near fire lines
• Communication systems to alert nearby workers of shifting conditions
• Contingency plans for rapid evacuation of plant and personnel

Every worker on a farm property should understand these risks before undertaking burn-off work, particularly when operating plant in proximity to flame fronts.

Building a Safer Approach to Farm Fire Management

Safe practice starts with proper risk assessment before any burn begins. Property owners should evaluate fuel loads, forecast conditions, and available plant on hand for rapid response if a burn escapes control.

A safe hazard reduction burn requires more than good intentions — it demands documented procedures, trained personnel, and equipment ready to respond. Farms functioning as both home and workplace need safety systems that address the unique risk profile of agricultural fire work.

Health and safety considerations extend beyond the immediate burn site. Neighbouring properties, community members, and emergency services all rely on farmers following safe burn protocols to prevent fire escalation.

Lessons for the Farming Community

This death adds to a troubling record of workplace fatalities connected to fire and heavy plant across regional Australia. Farm work involving fire management demands rigorous safety planning, not just experience or local knowledge of the land.

Every farmer deserves to return home safely after a day's work. Building safety into hazard reduction burns — through weather monitoring, escape planning, and trained support on site — gives operators a genuinely safe path through necessary but risky farm work.

For property owners managing similar fire risk, reviewing safe work method statements and emergency response plans remains critical. Resources such as the Cleaning after Flood & Storm SWMS and Property Services Pack HSWMS can support broader property safety planning, while a well-stocked Burns Station First Aid Kit should be on hand wherever fire-related work is undertaken.

Other recent tragedies, including a worker's death at an NSW solar farm and a woman's severe burns following a gas explosion at an NSW brewery, reinforce the need for safe systems of work across every sector where fire and plant hazards intersect.

Source: Nine News