Australia Weather News

A firefighter who died at the scene of a blaze on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula has been described by emergency authorities as a "deeply respected" brigade member and a "caring and considerate person".

The Country Fire Service (CFS) confirmed Peter Curtis, 65, died late on Sunday afternoon while attending a scrub fire at Pinkawillinie Conservation Park, and that an investigation would now examine the circumstances of his death.

SA CFS chief officer Brett Loughlin said firefighters at the fire ground, on northern Eyre Peninsula, became aware that one of the team was missing and launched an "immediate search" for Mr Curtis involving ground crews and a CFS helicopter.

"During the course of that search, firefighter Peter Curtis was located and sadly was unable to be revived," he said.

Mr Loughlin said Mr Curtis had "tragically died in the line of duty during operations at that incident", and that his thoughts and prayers were with Mr Curtis's family and friends.

"Firefighting can be a risky profession but the loss of any one of our firefighters is felt so incredibly keenly across the state, and indeed this will have repercussions nationally as well," he said.

Mr Loughlin said the fire, which started on Saturday evening and is believed to have been sparked by lightning, was attended by about 12 firefighters.

The Pinkawillinie Conservation Park is about 60 kilometres west of Kimba on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, and is characterised by rugged terrain.

The fire broke out as storms moved across South Australia on Saturday, causing significant damage in Port Pirie, and Mr Loughlin said crews arrived at the fire ground on Sunday morning.

He said they "found a fire of approximately 10 hectares in size, with relatively minimal fire activity".

"The specific details of this incident are obviously subject to an investigation and I can't go into them further at this point in time and I won't be drawn on any speculation on what may or may not have occurred at this point," he said.

He said Mr Curtis was a "much-loved" and "deeply respected" member of the National Parks and Wildlife Service brigade.

"We are a close-knit community and indeed we are a family and … Peter's loss in the line of duty is the first line-of-duty death of a National Parks and Wildlife Service firefighter and so it's particularly poignant," he said.

"I've heard lots of stories overnight and this morning about how much he was admired for his dedication. 

"He was no stranger to fighting fires in this part of the world."

In a post on Facebook in which the CFS paid its collective tribute to Mr Curtis, the service said the tragedy had occurred as firefighters battled to "protect the park and surrounding communities under challenging conditions".

"Peter dedicated his life to protecting South Australia's landscapes and communities," it said.

"Peter was a caring and considerate person, loved by all who knew him. 

His loss will be felt profoundly across our organisations and the broader community."

The CFS said Mr Curtis's firefighting experience stretched back three decades, beginning in 1995 with ForestrySA.

"He transferred to NPWS [National Parks and Wildlife Service] in 2017, where he served in senior leadership roles including strike team leader and sector commander. He was deeply respected for his skill, leadership, and generosity in mentoring others," the CFS said.

'Wrap our arms around our staff'

South Australian Emergency Services Minister Rhiannon Pearce said it was a "tremendously sad occasion" and that support had been offered to Mr Curtis's family.

"Supports have been offered to help them navigate through this really difficult time," she said.

"The role that Peter had isn't something you do necessarily just for a career — it's something you do because you feel deeply passionate about and he's been deeply passionate about keeping his community safe for a very long time and we honour the work.

"This news … is deeply felt by all in the emergency services sector as much as it is within the local community and the brigade."

Executive director of the Environment Department's National Parks and Public Lands, Mike Williams, said Mr Curtis was a highly valued member of the department's firefighting division.

"Peter was known for his diligence and hard work in our region with the southern Flinders, especially his work with educating and mentoring our younger staff," he said.

"[He] had been working with us since 2017 after working with ForestrySA in the Wirrabara area since 1995.

"He's well known in the Wirrabara area and our condolences go out to his family and we will wrap our arms around our staff and his family over the next few days."