“They will be impacted by this, and [this] will have a lasting impact on their community.
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“A fire is a traumatic event for any community, but when it’s combined with a loss of life, that’s devastating, so our hearts are going out to them today.”
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas also spoke about Mudie in parliament on Tuesday.
“I’d like to extend my condolences on behalf of everybody on this side of the house to the farmer who died in the Ravensthorpe bushfire,” he said.
“We extend our sincere and profound condolences to a man who died trying to assist not only his family, but his community.
“It reminds us all of the perils of living in Western Australia at this time of the year in particular.”
Nationals politician and Katanning farmer Peter Rundle offered his own condolences.
“Thinking of all those involved [and] many thanks to the emergency volunteers,” he said.
“A tragic loss for this community, one of our own lost too soon.”
The shire also released a statement on Tuesday.
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“The Shire of Ravensthorpe is devastated by the death of a local man at the West River fire yesterday afternoon,” it read.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and also all emergency services still working on the fire.”
Mudie worked on his 7000-hectare family sheep farm alongside his wife and son.
He was elected to the shire as deputy president in 2023, and was also a member of the council’s bushfire advisory committee.
Mudie was well known for his contribution to the region’s wildflower show, where he supplied Lambs Tail flowers for visitors to photograph.
Mark Mudie with the flowers he supplied to the local wildflower show.Credit: Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Herbarium
More than 4000 hectares have been burnt so far, and a bushfire watch and act remains active for people bounded by South Coast Highway, Lake Road, Mallee Road, Fitzgerald Road and Koornong Road in West River and West Fitzgerald, in the Shire of Ravensthorpe and Shire of Jerramungup.
The fire is moving slowly in a north-east direction, and is contained but not controlled.
About 60 firefighters are working to stop the blaze from spreading, and power has been cut to about 30 surrounding homes and properties.
Mudie’s death comes two years after volunteer firefighter Harry Stead was fatally injured after falling from a private firefighting vehicle while conducting fire suppression activities on a farm near Esperance.
The 2020 Hale School graduate was the son of prominent farmer and CBH Group chairman Simon Stead.
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