Twenty-four Australians in the state of New South Wales alone have been arrested since early November for intentionally setting bushfires as a record number of blazes continue to burn across the country.
More suspects are expected to be questioned in coming days as local police work to find and apprehend culprits who have contributed to the devastating fire season, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Two dozen people charged with deliberately setting fires are among 183 facing legal action in the state, according to the New South Wales Police Force.
In addition to those facing the most serious charges of starting fires intentionally, authorities said another 53 people are facing legal action for not complying with the state’s fire ban and 47 people have faced legal action for discarding a lit cigarette or match on land.
Starting a bushfire intentionally and being reckless in causing its spread can result in up to 21 years in prison, authorities said.
Legal actions can range “from cautions through to criminal charges,” according to NSW police.
Leftist Code Pink founder praise for Marjorie Taylor Greene stuns social media
Trump declares support for Cabinet official after report he is considering replacement
Local News Claimed Somalis Add to the State Economy, Then the Internet Did the Math – It Didn’t Add Up
Mamdani Vows to Let Homeless Roam Free, Republican Accuses Him of Leaving Them ‘To Freeze… on the Streets’
Philadelphia teachers partner with organization under congressional investigation for terrorism ties
Democrats target ‘vulnerable’ Republican senators ahead of high-stakes health care showdown
New Jersey’s medically assisted suicide law only covers state residents, appeals court rules
ICE accuses Dem lawmaker of joining ‘rioting crowd’ in Arizona, interfering in mass arrest
Trump rips Indiana GOP leader over redistricting fight, warns Republicans could face ‘MAGA primary’
Human skull, other remains found in bushes by Brooklyn’s Coney Island as investigators work to unravel mystery
Trump administration establishes militarized zone in California: “Strengthen border security operations”
Trump admin weighs terrorism sanctions against UN Palestinian aid agency over Hamas allegations
Ukrainian woman charged over Russian-backed cyberattacks; $10M reward offered for others
Walz urges Noem to ‘reassess’ immigration enforcement strategy in Minnesota after alleged citizen arrests
Obama surprises Chicago students in Santa hat for holiday library storytime reading session
The story of man-made fires is the same right across the country, as the Australian newspaper reports.
It reports police arrested 183 people nationally for lighting bushfires across Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania in the past few months.
Queensland state police say 101 people have been picked up for setting fires in the bush, 32 adults and 69 juveniles.
In Tasmania, where fires have sprung up in the north of the state and outside Hobart, five were caught setting fire to vegetation. Victoria reported 43 charged for 2019.
Meanwhile, the University of Sydney estimated 480 million animals have perished in the most populous state of New South Wales alone.
“The fires have also been devastating for Australia’s wildlife and wild places, as vital areas of bush, forests and parks have been scorched and many millions of animals killed or injured,” Dr. Stuart Blanch, senior manager land clearing and restoration with World Wildlife Fund-Australia, told ABC News. “Until the fires subside the full extent of damage will remain unknown.”
Leftist Code Pink founder praise for Marjorie Taylor Greene stuns social media
Trump declares support for Cabinet official after report he is considering replacement
Local News Claimed Somalis Add to the State Economy, Then the Internet Did the Math – It Didn’t Add Up
Mamdani Vows to Let Homeless Roam Free, Republican Accuses Him of Leaving Them ‘To Freeze… on the Streets’
Philadelphia teachers partner with organization under congressional investigation for terrorism ties
Democrats target ‘vulnerable’ Republican senators ahead of high-stakes health care showdown
New Jersey’s medically assisted suicide law only covers state residents, appeals court rules
ICE accuses Dem lawmaker of joining ‘rioting crowd’ in Arizona, interfering in mass arrest
Trump rips Indiana GOP leader over redistricting fight, warns Republicans could face ‘MAGA primary’
Human skull, other remains found in bushes by Brooklyn’s Coney Island as investigators work to unravel mystery
Trump administration establishes militarized zone in California: “Strengthen border security operations”
Trump admin weighs terrorism sanctions against UN Palestinian aid agency over Hamas allegations
Ukrainian woman charged over Russian-backed cyberattacks; $10M reward offered for others
Walz urges Noem to ‘reassess’ immigration enforcement strategy in Minnesota after alleged citizen arrests
Obama surprises Chicago students in Santa hat for holiday library storytime reading session
As Breitbart News reported, the link between arsonists and the deadly fires that devastate Australia every summer is well known and documented, with the rate of deliberately lit fires escalating rapidly during the school holiday period.
Dr Paul Read, co-director of the National Centre for Research in Bushfire and Arson, said the great majority of Australian bushfires are deliberately lit by “cunning, furtive and versatile criminals,” reports ABC News.
“About 85 per cent are related to human activity, 13 per cent confirmed arson and 37 per cent suspected arson,” he said. “The remainder are usually due to reckless fire lighting or even just children playing with fire.”
Dr Read said holidays and summer were a bad combination when it came to criminal fire starters.
“School holidays are a prime time for fire bugs, but especially over summer,” he said. “The kids have got time to get out there and light, and the most dangerous adults choose hot days.”
Story cited here.
