Serial arsonists going back for more

As the state’s firefighters are pushed to breaking point, police believe arsonists are reigniting bushfires just hours after they are being extinguished.

POLICE believe heartless arsonists are reigniting devastating bushfires just hours after the blazes have finally been extinguished as the state braces for another day of horror conditions.

With more than 60 fires still burning across the state, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has again pleaded with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to deliver the state its own waterbombing plane.

Her plea comes as firefighters continue to battle up to 20 major bush fires in the Granite Belt, Scenic Rim and Darling Downs with evacuation orders issued for communities including Ravensbourne, Mount Lindesay and Maroon.

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There will be no respite for firefighters today with conditions expected to be as bad if not worse than yesterday after a series of thunderstorms which swept across the southeast did little to help turn the tide.

The state’s new bushfire arson unit, Taskforce Overcross, has investigated dozens of deliberately lit blazes in the past two months with 74 people charged, including a teenager accused of igniting a fire which destroyed 14 homes near Yeppoon.

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Sources involved with Overcross yesterday told The Sunday Mail police were investigating the terrifying possibility arsonists were returning to the scenes of their crimes to relight fires just hours after exhausted firefighters had finally extinguished the flames.

Of the 74 people arrested over fires in the past two months, almost 50 were juveniles, prompting the Queensland Police Service to issue a stark warning that convictions for arson attacks can see offenders jailed for life.

“Parents and carers are urged to speak to their children about the consequences of lighting fires in this time of heightened danger and while on school holidays,” said a QPS spokeswoman.

“The consequences can be dire – properties can be lost, people can die.”

Meanwhile, writing to Mr Morrison for the third time, Ms Palaszczuk called for Queensland to be given its own C-130, the firebombing aircraft dubbed ‘Thor’ which has been deployed at fires across the country.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for the state to have a permanent water bombing plane, similar to the one here used to fight the devastating fires in NSW. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

The Premier said she didn’t want to see Queenslanders at risk.

“The value of air support fighting bushfires has been proven many times,” she said.

“We need one of these tankers here, it just makes sense.

“David Littleproud says he is willing to work with us on this.

“There needs to be a national squadron.

“I say there is no time to waste.”

Rural Fire Brigade officers fighting a bush fire crossing near Ravensbourne. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Last night, a fast-moving fire was bearing down on Mount Lindesay, where it was expected to have a life-threatening impact on the community.

Acting Chief Superintendent Kevin Reading from Queensland Fire and Rescue Service said today would be another tough one for firefighters.

“The storms didn’t change anything, it’s still extremely dry, hot and windy,” he said.

“We’re still dealing with extremely difficult conditions.”

Almost 4000 firefighters have been battling blazes across the state with little respite over the past 10 days, with reinforcements flown in from across Australia and New Zealand while other countries have also offered support.