TRAGEDY has struck the tight knit community of Goomalling, after a 57 year old man died from injuries following a fire on a farming property.
The man received serious burns to his body and was airlifted to Fiona Stanley Hospital on Tuesday for treatment where he later died.
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WA Police Arson Squad detectives are investigating the cause of the fire with local police and will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Shire of Goomalling president Barry Haywood offered his condolences to the man's family and friends.
"Our community is certainly hurting at the moment," Mr Haywood said.
The sad news comes after lightning sparked numerous fires across the Wheatbelt region earlier this week, with about 190 hectares of land burnt in the Goomalling shire.
Calingiri farmer Owen Edmonds was helping put out a fire on a neighbouring property when lightning sparked a fire on his own 1300ha farm.
The fire destroyed his harvester, a road train, two tractors and field bins.
"My cousin, who owned the truck, was only a few hundred metres from the paddock at the time," Mr Edmonds told Farm Weekly.
"I think about 20 units got there within the first 15 minutes of the fire and controlled it.
"It burnt through about 20 hectares of our wheat crop but pretty much burnt itself out once it hit the road.
"I know there were two other fires north of our property and the one in Goomalling too."
Mr Owen, who at the time of the fire had only just begun harvesting his first paddock of wheat, said he planned to hire his uncle's harvester to finish off the season.
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