A volunteer firefighter has died as he was attempting to contain a suspicious fire at a property while several others were also burning in nearby streets.
The man was battling the blaze at a home in Short Street, Portland in Victoria’s west on Tuesday at 7.38pm when he collapsed at the scene.
The fire was one of four that are believed to have been lit between 5.50am and 7.38am after a blaze was discovered inside a rubbish bin on the corner of Percy and Gawler streets.
Less than an hour later another fire was lit on a bollard at Cape Nelson Road around 6.40am.
Police were called to a garage fire in Camira Street around 7am while the fourth and final fire was lit inside a shed and a toilet room on Short Street at 7.38am, which the volunteer firefighter was trying to contain.
A volunteer firefighter has died while he was attempting to contain a suspicious fire in Victoria’s west on Tuesday morning (stock image of fire trucks outside a fire station)
The man was a member of the Country Fire Authority, Victoria’s volunteer fire service agency.
The group confirmed the man had died in a Facebook post earlier this afternoon and said paramedics who rushed to the scene administered CPR on the man but he could not be saved.
Fire and Rescue crews were also at the scene.
‘CFA can sadly confirm the death of a member while attending a shed fire incident in Portland this morning,’ the wrote.
‘Our deepest sympathies go out to the member’s family, friends and colleagues at the Portland Brigade.’

The man who was a member of the Country Fire Authority (stock image) and was battling a suspicious blaze outside a property in Portland while three other fires also burned nearby
The 66-year-old man is yet to be identified and it is understood that he suffered a medical episode while he was trying to fight the blaze.
His death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
A spokesperson from Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia that police believe the fires are linked to one another.
No other injuries have been reported.
A Fire and Rescue Victoria spokesperson told Daily Mail that fire crews responded to reports of the second fire in Camira Street with the cause of the blaze as well as the fire on Short Street unknown.
‘At this stage the cause of both fires remains under investigation,’ the spokesperson said.
‘FRV extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends and brigade members of the volunteer firefighter.’
WorkSafe authorities as well as detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad will investigate the incident.
Anyone with information or CCTV footage has been urged to contact police.
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