Published 13:18 IST, November 27th 2019
Australia: Police says firefighter on rescue operation lit seven blazes
A volunteer firefighter was charged with arson by the police in fire-ravaged Australia on Nov 26 and the police alleged that he lit seven blazes in bushfires.
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A volunteer firefighter was charged with arson by the police in fire-ravaged Australia on November 26. The police alleged that he lit seven blazes before returning to help colleagues extinguish them. The authorities alleged that the 19-year-old lit seven fires across the south coast of New South Wales which is worst hit by a recent spate of devastating bushfires that occurred between mid-October and late November. The man was purportedly seen sitting in the vehicle on Tuesday afternoon shortly before a fire broke out nearby. A police statement revealed that the man lit the fire and left the area without responding to the fire as part of his duty as a volunteer firefighter. He was soon arrested after the incident and charged for causing the fire and being negligent to its spread.
Bushfires destroyed 2.5 million acres of farmland
Shane Fitzsimmons, New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner said that the teenager has been immediately fired from his firefighting duties. The bushfires in eastern Australia have spread across the suburbs of Sydney where the firefighters struggle to get more than 100 Australian bushfires raging across the east coast under control. The official weather forecasts on November 14 showed no substantial rain for at least three months. The wildfires in New South Wales and Queensland states have reportedly killed four people, ravaged hundreds of homes, and destroyed around 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of farmland and bush over the past week.
The fires have been sparked by dry conditions after the drought that prevailed for three years and the experts believe that it has been intensified by climate change. It is a major factor that has spurred a sharp political debate in recent days. The firefighters expect that the fire bushes will continue for weeks without significant rainfall. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said there is just 25 per cent chance that the country's eastern coast will receive average rainfall between December 1 and February 28. BOM also expects that chances are more than 80 per cent that average temperatures will increase in the next three months.
12:57 IST, November 27th 2019