THE arsonists responsible for the inferno which threatened several Coalfields towns intended to cause even more mayhem, with investigators uncovering a third ignition point which failed to take hold.
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The state’s bushfire investigation unit, Strike Force Tronto, joined fire investigators and local detectives on the fire ground on Thursday as furious senior police vowed to hunt down the firebugs responsible for the series of blazes across the Coalfields in the past few months.
Together with the known ignition points which started blazes that threatened Kurri Kurri and Heddon Greta, investigators found a third attempt near Chinaman’s Hollow, which had the potential to push a blaze into vast bushland and threaten several other towns.
The Central Hunter local area commander, Superintendent Craig Jackson, has warned of a real potential for loss of life if fires were continually lit in horrific weather conditions such as was experienced on Wednesday.
“They are putting their local communities at very grave risk; the people, their houses, their businesses and their livelihoods all at risk by their abject acts of stupidity,’’ Superintendent Jackson said.
“You have people lighting fires in appalling weather conditions knowing they are going to go and knowing it is going to put people and property at risk.’’
The fires, which took out more than 650 hectares, were lit despite police continuing to monitor suspected firebugs throughout the Coalfields.
Wednesday’s bushfire is the latest in the long line of arson attacks across the Coalfields.
“On days like yesterday we have had detectives in the field proactively following up a number of our targets who are targets for lighting fires,’’ Superintendent Jackson said.
“We go out and proactively target and have been doing this for weeks on days which are ideal for bushfires.’’
He later added: “There are certain individuals in the community who have been identified as persons of interest who we need to be aware of and keep an eye on when it comes to intentionally lit bushfires and we have been intercepting them on days of concern.’’
Central Hunter detectives were working with investigators from the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW along with experts from Strike Force Tronto, the state’s bushfire investigation unit.
They were investigating the source of Wednesday’s fires on Thursday morning.
“We are sick of it, I know the RFS are sick of it, I know NSW Fire and Rescue are sick of it and we are already following up a number of lines of enquiry,’’ Superintendent Jackson said.
“If this keeps going someone is going to get hurt, it might be a member of the public or it might be someone fighting the fires.
“We are mightily sick of it and we have resources already in the field in a bid to stop this.’’
And he pleaded with the public to assist by reporting anything that they deemed suspicious.
“We need the public to continually assist us with credible information,’’ he said.
“There is a deterrent factor there in relation to very lengthy jail sentences in regards to lighting bushfires, but also the potential loss of life and the potential loss of property, including people’s homes.
“And they are also tying up huge amounts of resources to battle these blazes.’’
Cessnock City mayor Cr Bob Pynsent commended the efforts of firefighters who “bravely worked to protect life and property yesterday’’.
“The crews were faced with extreme weather conditions as high temperatures and strong winds combined to create an unpredictable and difficult environment to work in,’’ Cr Pynsent said in a statement.
“Local, regional and metropolitan crews came together, working tirelessly on the ground, with further aerial support helping to battle the blazes.
“I will be very angry and disappointed if investigations find that these fires were deliberately lit.
“If that is found to be the case, the actions of one or a few have put entire communities, lives and property in significant danger.
“Unfortunately, this is the third fire event in the Cessnock local government area this summer, so I would again remind the community to be prepared and to have a fire plan.’’
BUSHFIRE COST TAXPAYERS $500,000
EVEN with more than 200 volunteer firefighters on the front line of the Kurri Kurri fires, the bill to taxpayers would be about $500,000, RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers has estimated.
Prioritised as the top threat on a massive day across the state for bushfires, the blazes attracted significant aerial firefighting to go with the personnel on the ground.
“As it was unfolding there were serious concerns we were going to have a lot of property under threat and lost,’’ Mr Rogers said.
“You have to ask yourself what would motivate someone to [light the fires] in those conditions.
“It astounds me why people would do that.
Mr Rogers, who was once head of the Lower Hunter RFS before he moved to headquarters more than a decade ago, said there had been long-held concerns about arsonists across the Coalfields.
“Taking away the obvious dangers, there would be no change from $500,000 to fight those fires; that’s everyone’s money,’’ he said.