Sydney heatwave: Boy, 13, and man charged over sparking separate bushfires
A MAN has been charged with sparking a bushfire on the Central Coast, only a day after a 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly starting a fire in the already bushfire threatened Central West.
NSW
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A MAN has been charged with sparking a bushfire on the Central Coast, only a day after a 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly starting a fire in the already bushfire threatened Central West.
Police were called to a blaze on Mangrove Creek Rd, Mangrove Creek about noon. A NSW Police Force spokesman said the fire had been started in two separate locations and no buildings were damaged.
A 40-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Gosford police station where he was charged with set fire to land of other during total fire ban and intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread.
He was refused bail in Wyong Court today and remains behind bars.
The arrest comes after a teen was arrested following a fire on the outskirts of Dubbo.
Police allege the 13-year-old was arrested in an industrial area after the grass fire was extinguished.
He was granted bail and is expected to appear in a children’s court on Monday.
The fire was extinguished and while “no building structures were damaged, approximately 100 wrecked motor vehicles were,” police said.
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Veteran Rural Fire Service volunteer Rodger Wilson, from the nearby Kulnura brigade, told the Daily Telegraph he hoped the man was shown the full force of the law, if found guilty.
“On a day like today it can be deadly within minutes,” he said.
“It can just go off really quickly.
“I would be behind the police all the way.”
It comes as emergency services have repeatedly pleaded for caution over the weekend in what has been described as a perfect storm for bushfire activity due to the extreme temperatures and windy conditions.
Fire in east Orange has forced the closure of nearby streets. People urged to avoid the area @abcnewsSydney @ABCCentralWest pic.twitter.com/ZFSWzlJTXY
— Gavin Coote (@GavinCoote) February 11, 2017
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the last thing firefighters needed to deal with was deliberately lit fires when there were so many other blazes erupting due to natural or accidental causes.
“It does not surprise me that the police have been proactive and acted swiftly and decisively and I’m pleased to hear they have been able to arrest and charge the perpetrators of this awful crime,” he said.
“We have the toughest penalties available in the country and our hope is that anybody undertaking this awful act that the full weight of the law comes down upon them no matter who they are.”
Orange mayor John Davis said he was left gobsmacked that someone would have deliberately started a fire in the heatwave conditions seen over the weekend.
“It just beggars belief that on a very hot day that somebody would be walking around and would light such a fire,” he said.
“This could have been horrendous, it was certainly a frightening thing for us in the city.”
The two arrests come as firefighters battle a large out-of-control blaze in the Central West and react to dozens of smaller bush and grass fires.
Fire authorities are describing the conditions as “catastrophic” and “off the conventional scale”.
Firefighters and emergency services remain on high alert across the state, with strong winds forecast and a series of record-breaking temperatures.
Extreme fire danger ratings were in place for the North Coast, Northern Slopes, Upper Central West Plains and Lower Central West Plains regions
Catastrophic conditions are forecast for the Greater Hunter, Central Ranges and North Western areas.
Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons urged residents to be prepared.
Revised Fire Danger Ratings - Southern Ranges & Eastern Riverina now Very High Fire Danger. Report fires to Triple Zero (000) #NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/Qv5pK9880r
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 11, 2017
“It is not another summer’s day. It is not another bad fire day. This is as bad as it gets.”
“We need to be clear that in catastrophic conditions are the most dangerous conditions.
“Fires will start easily and they will spread very quickly.”
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