Bushfires destroy homes, claim firefighter's life

A firefighter was killed in Australia on Sunday while battling one of several blazes burning in different parts of the country that have destroyed homes and prompted evacuations, in what officials warned could be a challenging bushfire season.

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A member of the NSW Rural Fire Service uses a hose after a bushfire destroyed homes along Glenrock Parade in Koolewong, Australia, on Saturday.

(REUTERS)

The firefighter, a veteran 59-year-old field officer whose name was not released, died after being struck by a tree late Sunday while working on a bushfire in Bulahdelah in the state of New South Wales, about three hours north of Sydney, according to the state's national parks and wildlife service.