Infuriating reason town razed to ground

This rural town has been plagued by 29 bushfires in the past week, and furious locals say most were deliberately lit.

EXCLUSIVE

Most Aussies are familiar with the harrowing realities of a bushfire, whether they have lived it themselves or watched a friend or family member’s home burn.

In Alice Springs, though, locals are whistleblowing something particularly devastating. The embattled town has been plagued by bushfires this past week — and residents claim most of them were deliberately lit.

Almost 30 grassfires have raged in the rural Northern Territory town since Tuesday, with volunteer firefighters and locals working around the clock to put them out. Shocking images have emerged of the landscape, once lush and green from recent heavy rain, utterly decimated by flames.

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Alice Springs has been plagued by almost 30 bushfires in recent days. Picture: Facebook / Sandover Pastoral Company

Locals claim many were deliberately lit. Picture: Facebook / Sandover Pastoral Company

In one such photo, charred plant matter blankets the red earth as smoke plumes upward, concealing the sky. Another shows the sprawling fields of a cattle station, damaged and black as far as the eye can see.

Sandover Pastoral Company, which owns a large station to the west of Alice Springs, said it had endured a “hectic” week amid a series of fires that burned on and near its land.

“Unfortunately, these fires have been deliberately lit,” the company said in a harrowing social media post.

“We got the first two out in 48 hours and then several more were lit.”

The company urged bystanders to report any suspicious activity to police, as it thanked employees and firefighters who helped to put out the blaze.

Sandover Pastoral’s cattle station before the blaze. Picture: Facebook / Sandover Pastoral Company

The land after it caught fire. Picture: Facebook / Sandover Pastoral Company

“So disappointing this has happened after we have been spelling this country and letting it rejuvenate after the drought,” Sandover Pastoral said.

“The year started off beautifully with wonderful soaking rains … (We had) lots of wonderful feed and the country was rejuvenating.”

Darren Clark, who runs the Action For Alice Facebook page and has been instrumental in broadcasting information from the town, said arson “wasn’t a new phenomenon” in Alice Springs.

“There are a couple of kinds of crime that happen over and over again in Alice,” he told news.com.au.

“There’s breaking and entering, car theft and assault. Another one is arson. If there’s a fire burning, the assumption in town is that it was deliberately lit.”

One fire by the Todd River was deliberately lit, according to a witness. Picture: Facebook / Action For Alice

Mr Clark said he had been in touch with multiple witnesses who had seen fires being deliberately lit in bushland, and even seen the horrifying act for himself.

Most recent was a small fire that burned on the banks of the Todd River, which was attended by firefighters and a witness said was lit by a young man wielding a lighter.

Mr Clark said he knew of at least four people working within Bushfires NT or NT Fire and Rescue Services who routinely dealt with deliberately lit fires. The sources declined to comment for fear of being reprimanded in their publicly funded jobs.

A staggering 29 grassfires burned in Alice Springs in the week to Wednesday, a spokesperon for NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services confirmed to news.com.au.

“Investigations into the causes of the fires are ongoing,” the spokesperson said.

“All lines of inquiry will be considered.”

Firefighters worked around the clock to keep the flames at bay. Picture: Facebook / Sandover Pastoral Company

Bushfires NT released a general warning to arsonists about the criminality of their actions, urging the community: “If you see something, know something, then say something”.

“Bushfire arson is a dangerous and deliberate act that dangers lives, properties and the environment and is a crime under the Criminal Code Act 1983,” the organisation said in the alert.

“People caught illegally lighting fires can face up to 15 years of imprisonment. If you witness someone illegally lighting fires, please contact NT Police. If you have information about someone who is deliberately lighting fires, contact Crime Stoppers NT.”

One of the bushfires raged “dangerously close” to an Alice Springs settlement of more than 60 properties, NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services said.

At least one property was destroyed and several damaged. Picture: Facebook / Bushfires NT

Furious locals are calling for action. Picture: Facebook / Bushfires NT

“Sadly on Friday, a house was destroyed and another significantly damaged. Thankfully no serious injuries or loss of life occurred,” a spokesperson said.

While investigations continue into the cause of the bushfires, arson inquiries have been opened in relation to recent property fires in town.

Over the weekend, NT Police put out a call for information relating to suspected arson after three “suspicious vehicle fires” lit up in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“Between 4:20am and 5:00am, police received reports of three vehicles on fire on Bath Street in the CBD, Gason Street and Bromley Street in Gillen,” a spokesperson said.

“Emergency Services attended the scene and extinguished all three vehicles. Investigations are ongoing and police are urging anyone with information, particularly with CCTV or dashcam footage around the scenes to contact police.”

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