By Ruby Shaw of 
Volunteer firefighter Blair Halder. Photo: Otago Daily Times
A volunteer firefighter who died on a rural Clutha property at the weekend has been remembered as a "genuinely good guy" who had his community at heart.
Farmer Blair Halder, 41, died following an incident involving a tractor on private property in Kononi, Clutha, on Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 2.20pm.
Clutha Valley Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Richard Hunter said Halder was a great brigade member and friend.
Halder had been a volunteer firefighter for about 23 years, serving first in Dipton then, from 2015, in the Clutha Valley where he was brigade secretary.
He was quick to put his hand to help his community out and "a genuinely good guy".
The Clutha Valley Volunteer Fire Brigade had been called to Saturday's incident, a tough situation to manage, CFO Hunter said.
Crews from Lawrence, Balclutha and Lookout Point also attended.
"We knew the address we were turning up to but thankfully the Lawrence chief directed our crew away quite nicely, so it was all handled [as] best it could have been."
In a statement this morning, Fire and Emergency NZ's deputy chief executive Stephanie Rotarangi said:
"I am very sad to hear that the person who died in a tragic accident in the Clutha Valley on Saturday was a member of the local volunteer fire brigade.
"My thoughts are with Blair's family at this terrible time. I am very grateful to all the emergency services who responded to assist at the scene, including our own crews.
"Fire and Emergency New Zealand is doing whatever we can to provide support to the family and our brigade."
Police said the death would be referred to WorkSafe and the coroner.
"The incident did involve a tractor. However, the exact cause of death is for the coroner to determine," a police spokeswoman said.
A WorkSafe spokeswoman said initial information was the incident involved a tractor rollover.
Agriculture was one of the four most dangerous industries in New Zealand, she said.
"It accounts for around 25 percent of acute work-related fatalities and serious injuries, while only 6 percent of employment is in this sector."
