Four men and teenager charged over Fraser Island bushfire
Police say an “act of stupidity” sparked a fire that burned more than half of Fraser Island, with five people charged with starting the blaze.
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Police say an “act of stupidity” sparked a fire that burned more than half of Fraser Island, with five people charged with starting the blaze.
A 24-year-old Warwick man, two men aged 21 and 24 from Rosenthal Heights, and a 23-year-old man from Massie were charged with unlawfully lighting fires.
A 17-year-old co-accused will be dealt with according to the provisions of the Youth Justice Act 1992.
Police allege the four were responsible for a small campfire discovered by rangers from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on October 14.
The illegal campfire was located within the Duling Camp Zone of Eastern Beach, north of Orange Creek.
It was first discovered covered in sand, though still radiating heat.
Police say the group allegedly failed to extinguish the illegal fire.
Maryborough Detective Senior Sergeant David Harbison said a police and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service investigation uncovered the group had tried to extinguish the fire with sand, but “native vegetation in close proximity had caught alight and started a wildfire”.
“The [alleged] act was one of stupidity, lighting unauthorised fires on Fraser Island,” Sen-Sgt Harbison said.
“This fire had a devastating effect on Fraser Island and it was quite simply totally avoidable. A large amount of damage was caused to the island and many people were inconvenienced. The firefighting response risked lives and cost a large amount of money.”
He alleged the group did not intentionally light the fire.
It is estimated 87,000ha of the island was burned over seven weeks, while yesterday, several new hotspots emerged at the island’s northern tip.
Devastated stakeholders hope the catastrophic impact of the fire will highlight the “cascade effect” of thoughtless actions on the island.
“It’s heartbreaking, I’m still trying to make sense of it really,” Drop Bears Adventures managing director Hana Robinson said.
The 24-year-old Warwick man has been charged with the unlawful lighting of a fire and leaving a fire unattended.
The 21-year-old Rosenthal Heights man, a 24-year-old Rosenthal Heights man and a 23-year-old Massie man have been charged with one count each of the unlawful lighting of fires.
They will appear in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on January 21.
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