Bushfires NT issue warning after 2023 fire season: Unlawful fires ‘diverts our resources’

“Do you want to be responsible for the death of someone or the loss of a home?”: As the Territory’s firefighters gear up for another Dry season, arsonits have been issued a stern warning.

A bushfire threatens Tennant Creek in 2023, as extreme weather conditions continue to hinder firefighters' efforts to control the blaze. Picture: Bushfires NT

Arsonists and pyromaniacs are adding to the fatigue felt by the Territory’s firefighters, with one senior chief calling for public support in ousting individuals who unlawfully ignite fires.

The call-out comes after Bushfires NT responded to 904 wildfires in 2023, including the Barkly, Tanami and Savanna regions – more than double the number of wildfires recorded in 2022.

The figures do not include permitted or planned burns.

Bushfires NT chief fire control officer Tony Fuller said firefighters had mentally prepared themselves for another “massive” dry season.

“We only get a small window of opportunity to do fire mitigation work and we try and do that early after the Wet season,” he told the NT News.

“The weather’s only favourable to do that for a short window and when we have people light fires it diverts our resources away from our plan to respond to wildfires which has a flow on effect.”

In 2023, the high number of fires culminated when the entire Territory was put under a fire danger declaration for a period of six weeks.

A bushfire that began at Kuraya Outstation burns near Tennant Creek. Picture: Bushfires NT

In September that year, NT Police launched an extensive investigation into the cause of 80 unlawfully lit bushfires across the Darwin region.

A 37 year-old man was arrested on September 21 and charged with 18 counts of causing a bushfire.

Unlawfully causing a bushfire is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment if found guilty.

For Mr Fuller, however, his thoughts remained with the victims of like behaviour.

“Those people that are lighting fires may not understand the full ramifications of what they’re doing,” he said.

“There’s a lot of human cost that people don’t see – we have a lot of people who rely on their farming income who lose livestock, they lose their feed for their livestock, they incur transportation costs to move their assets around.

“There’s a lot more assets in what used to just be bushland – a lot of mining camps and gas fields as well as pastoralists.”

Mr Fuller called on the public to report suspicious fires where they believed illegal activity had occurred.

“We usually try to find the origin of a fire when we attend them, but we do ask that if you see (a fire) that you believe was illegally ignited, that you contact police or crime stoppers.”

Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer Stephen Hunter had a blunt message for potential offenders.

“To the members of the public that are considering arson: arson affects the whole community, you don’t know what the result of lighting a fire will be,” he said.

“Do you want to be responsible for the death of someone or the loss of a home?”

Originally published as Bushfires NT issue warning after 2023 fire season: Unlawful fires ‘diverts our resources’