An 19-year-old man has been charged by officers attached to Strike Force Vulcan in relation to nine bushfires which were lit in several suburbs, including Wooroloo, between Thursday 23 December 2021 and yesterday, Saturday 15 January 2022.
The bushfires he is alleged to have lit are:
– 23/12/2021: A bushfire along Old Northam Road, Wooroloo
– 25/12/2021: A bushfire along Old Northam Road, Beechina
– 25/12/2021: A bushfire along Old Northam Road, Wooroloo
– 26/12/2021: A bushfire along Government Road, Wooroloo
– This fire destroyed a house and a number of sheds, vehicles and farming machinery.
– 30/12/2021: A bushfire along Breeze Road, Gidgegannup
– 01/01/2022: A bushfire along Breeze Road, Gidgegannup
– 03/01/2022: A bushfire along Old Northam Road, Beechina
– 09/01/2022: A bushfire along Werribee Road, Wooroloo
– 15/01/2022: A bushfire along Linley Valley Road, Wundowie
The accused is a volunteer fire fighter and responded to eight of the nine bushfires he is alleged to have lit, with his fire brigade unable to attend the ninth fire due to already being engaged in responding to another of the fires he is alleged to have lit.
The 19-year-old Wooroloo man was arrested by Strike Force Vulcan investigators yesterday, Saturday 15 January 2022, in Wundowie and has been charged with nine counts of ‘Wilfully light or cause to be lit a fire likely to injure or damage’. He was refused bail and is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court today, Sunday 16 January 2022.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years imprisonment.
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