Southern suburbs man accused of starting a bushfire with a firework refused bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court

A southern suburbs man accused of shooting fireworks out of his car window, sparking a bushfire has applied to be released on bail.

• CFS slams users of illegal fireworks who caused fires at Aldinga
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A southern suburbs man accused of shooting a firework from his car, starting a bushfire has been refused bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

The 31-year-old, whose name has been suppressed while the investigation continues, has been charged with two counts of causing a bushfire, acts to danger life and failing to answer police questions.

For the first time on Friday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court was told the details of the alleged offending.

Magistrate Gregory Fisher heard that witnesses saw sky rocket fireworks being fired from a car in Aldinga on December 28.

One of the rockets narrowly missed a witness and landed in bushland on a vacant block, igniting a bushfire.

The car left the scene but the witness reported the incident to police, including the vehicles licence plate number.

A grass fire at Aldinga Beach sparked by the use of illegal fireworks.

The man, who is the registered owner of the vehicle, was interviewed by police and allegedly refused to tell them who had been behind the wheel at the time.

David Edwardson QC, appearing for the man, said the prosecution had not sufficiently identified his client as being in the car at the time of the incident.

Applying for bail, Mr Edwardson said the man would be entering a not guilty charge and did not match the description given of the driver.

Because he was charged with causing a bushfire, the man was a prescribed applicant who needed to show special circumstances to be released on bail.

Mr Edwardson argued that the potential time his client would spend in custody was a factor in granting him bail.

DNA tests will take eight months to be conducted, with the man’s next court date in October this year.

“There is the real possibility he will spend a very long time in custody,” Mr Edwardson said.

Mr Fisher refused to grant the man bail, saying that he did not meet the criteria for special circumstances.

However, he brought forward the man’s next court date by several months to speed up the process and reduce the man’s potential time in custody.