Willi Willi Road, Kempsey region: Man’s body found as fire downgraded to watch and act

Authorities have spoken about the man killed as a blaze engulfed his property near Kempsey on Monday night and the ‘heavy weight of attack’ they are launching ahead of worsening conditions.

Rural Fire Service firefighters worked to provide property protection. File picture

A missing man has been found dead on a property with his bulldozer almost completely destroyed after an uncontrolled bushfire swept through the region 30km west of Kempsey.

Emergency services were called to Stony Creek Lane at Temagog, about 10.15pm on Monday, after concerns were raised for a 56-year-old man, missing after a bushfire passed through the area.

On arrival, officers from Mid North Coast Police District located the body of a man; his bulldozer nearby was destroyed. While the man has not yet been formally identified, it’s believed he was a local property owner.

A crime scene has been established, and investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Fire approaching a home in the Kempsey area on Monday afternoon. Picture by Lindsay Rogers.

Incredible images of the southerly change moving in across the region on Monday evening have been shared on social media. Picture by Jen Nix taken in the Port Macquarie area.

May have been trying to protect his property

The family of the man who perished in the fire are “devastated”, police say.

It’s believed the 56-year-old man may have been trying to create some earthen breaks on his Temagog property as the Willi Willi Road fire swept toward him.

“We do believe that he was perhaps putting in some lines to try and prevent the fire but as I say that will be part of the investigation,” NSW Police superintendent Shane Cribb said.

The man‘s body was found just 100 metres from a bulldozer he is thought to have been using, which was also destroyed.

Rural Fire Service Lower North Coast Zone manager Liz Ferris said it was too early to know how many properties may have been impacted, but there were “numerous” buildings in the affected fireground.

The heaving smoke pillow from the bushfire can be seen from as far away as Kempsey and Macksville on the Mid North Coast.

Ms Ferris said local brigades had been buoyed by out of area units, many from the Coffs Harbour district.

She noted some assets had been sent to the coast to deal with two separate fires which have broken out on Crescent Head Rd.

‘Heavy weight of attack’

RFS Lower North Coast manager Liz Ferris says authorities are putting what they call a “heavy weight of attack” on the Willi Willi Road fire in preparation for worsening conditions over the weekend with temperatures set to soar.

On Tuesday Ms Ferris said the fire was burning on all fronts with an 80km perimeter.

Residents and emergency services remain on high alert and an evacuation centre has been established at the Kempsey Showground.

The fire has been downgraded to a watch and act but is still burning out of control and by noon on Tuesday had burnt out had burnt out more than 19,000 hectares.

On Monday night, an emergency warning was issued with residents in the areas of Willawarrin, Mungay Flat, Tooroka and Temagog are urged to seek shelter.

But this has now been downgraded to watch and act. 

Firefighters are working frantically to try and tie in the Willi Willi Road fire ahead of expected worsening conditions on Saturday and into Sunday.

Kempsey Shire residents are noticeable on edge as the area was ravaged by the Carrai East mega blaze in 2019 which claimed more than 60 local dwellings.

The shire has gone from that nightmare into flood and now back into life-threatening fire in seemingly the blink of an eye.