Elderly man arrested for lighting bushfires in South East; Second man arrested for lighting fires in Aldinga

A second man has been arrested and charged with causing bushfires in Aldinga. Another man was earlier accused of lighting fires in the South East.

A second arrest has been made over lighting fires in SA.

A Reynella East man, 31, was arrested on Sunday morning, after police investigated two recent bushfires at Aldinga.

The fires were believed to have been started in scrubland at Aldinga Beach Rd and the Esplanade, on December 28 – a severe bushfire risk day.

Police charged the man with two counts of cause bushfire, acts to endanger life and fail to truly answer questions.

His vehicle has also been seized for forensic examination.

He was refused bail and will appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

Earlier, police arrested an elderly South Australian man and charged him over four bushfires in the state’s South East in the past week.

The 79-year-old is accused of lighting four bushfires from December 30, 2019 to January 4, 2020:

■ Monday 30 December 2019 adjacent to Catherine Gibson Way

■ Thursday 2 January adjacent to Catherine Gibson Way

■ Saturday 4 January adjacent to First Street

■ Saturday 4 January adjacent on Eleventh Street

Fortunately no properties were damaged by the fires but one house was threatened by the flames on Saturday.

He was refused police bail and will appear in the Mt Gambier Magistrates Court on Monday.

Police say the charges are not related to the Keilira fire which continues to burn in the state’s South East — that fire is not suspicious.

Anyone with information regarding the intentional lighting of fires in the Kingston SE area, is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.