Tributes flow for 'incredibly loved country kid' Harry Stead, who died in blaze near Esperance

One of Western Australia's well-known farming families says it will be be "forever broken" following the loss of their "down-to-earth country kid" who died while responding to a bushfire in the state's south. 

Volunteer firefighter Harry Stead was attending a blaze on a farming property near Coomalbidgup, about 640 kilometres south east of Perth in the Shire of Esperance, when he died on Tuesday. 

Police are investigating and believe the 20-year-old was helping his neighbour tackle the bushfire. 

Authorities say he was part of a crew operating a private firefighting vehicle. 

Mr Stead was from the small farming community of Cascade, with father Simon Stead appointed chair of CBH grain cooperative in 2020.

The family have a mixed sheep, cattle and cropping farm in Cascade and Dalyup, to the east of Esperance.

In a statement, the Stead family said they were 'immensely proud" of their son and brother. 

"Harry loved his family and the bond he had with his three siblings was truly beautiful," the family said. 

"He loved his mates and living life to the fullest. He loved dogs, coffee, Pepsi Max and Swan Draught. 

"Harry was kind, fun-loving and active, and always there to help with family and with community.

"He had a big circle of friends and he touched many lives. Harry was respectful with a beautiful, understated sense of humour.

The family said they were "heartened by the outpouring of grief" in the wake of his death, and requested their privacy be respected as they dealt with their "immense" loss.

PM extends condolences

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those to pay tribute to Mr Stead. 

"On behalf of the government, I extend my deepest condolences to all those who knew and loved Harry Stead, the young volunteer firefighter who lost his life while helping a neighbour," he said. 

"To the Cascade and broader Esperance community, the DFES and all volunteers, our thoughts are with you.

Mr Stead, a former Hale graduate, played for the UWA football club colts league for three years.

Club president Jake Colvin said he was an integral part of the colts program and "an amazing kid".

"Really infectious personality, he was incredibly loved within that playing group," Mr Colvin said.

Esperance Shire president Ron Chambers said the young man's loss would be felt throughout the community.

"This is going to impact fairly massively against the community," Mr Chambers said.

"The family is well-known, well respected."

Mr Chambers said a dry lightning storm had gone through the region on Tuesday, which he believes could have contributed to the fires. 

Department of Fires and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm also offered his support to those affected by Mr Stead's death. 

"I can only imagine the difficult time that his colleagues and his family are going through currently as they deal with those tragic events that unfolded yesterday," he said. 

There were two separate out of control blazes burning to the east and north of Esperance, one in the Stokes National Park and the other threatening properties and farmland near Cascade.

Both fires have been downgraded, but residents are being asked to remain alert.

The causes of the fires have yet to be established, with Arson Squad detectives expected to attend the scene. 

It's not the first time the community has lost loved ones to a bushfire, with four people killed in one of the state's deadliest blazes north of Esperance in Scadden. 

Local farmer Kym Curnow was driving around to warn people of the blaze when he was killed. 

Three international farm workers died while trying to escape the fire. 

A coronial inquest into the deaths was held in 2019.