****ING ARSONISTS

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Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Well great news this morning,they caught the bastard.Lets hope they can get enough evidence lay charges.
The fires were deliberately lit,set with a "tea candle".
https://thewest.com.au/news/albany-a...-ng-b88381105z
Andrew

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Don't tell me - he was wearing a clown suit.

It seems there are times when the Mods ought to be a bit lenient over 'bad' language. :angel:

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Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Andy just out of curiosity,,
Who sent you there?
Council? Local Fire Authority?
It seems to me you were put in harms way,, in a machine not fit for purpose.

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I actually sent myself Pedro.I also directed one of my staff to take a water truck there,the other grader driver to take his grader out and others to load the big loader and rake onto the float ready to go when called.My boss was at the 3 fires north of town,Im the man when the boss isn't available.Decisions need to be made quickly especially with the fire conditions yesterday(hot and 50kmh winds).We are covered both by the Shire and the local Bush Fire Service.
As for the machine not fit for purpose,it can happen to any diesel engine in heavy smoke,I got too close to the heavy black smoke.I was on the flank where the fire was heading in heavy stubble and only had 1 fire unit with me.It was my second cut down the flank and it did slow up the front,infact my next cut enabled the fire unit plus another that joined to stop the fire on that break.It was then very easy to cut the fire off in the next paddock due to less fuel loading and another grader and plenty of farmer fire units.
Andrew
I saw the smoke go up from the first one south of town

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Originally Posted by digger

Alan,
I'm a bushfire investigator with my job and CFS. With the new laws about cig manufacture the odds are very very much against a lit smoke from a car starting a fire. Glass bottles broken on sides of road have become a leader but the main cause of these sadly is very likely arsonists. The patterns formed in their location is another clue, 500m from roadway, burnout as they left, likely a dip, hill or bend in roadway at that point too... bastards..

That being said throwing anything from a car, especially a lit smoke and you are a bastard as far as I am concerned. There are on the spot fines in SA for smoking in bushland during the fire danger season without having a 4m clearance!!


The benefit of a top class grader driver at any scrub fire is incalculable- using their machinery knowledge, and experience with most terrains etc they can efficiently create an effective fire break in a very short time. The graders, dozers and FEL drivers used for these are brilliant and very often go unrecognised as front line fire fighters, Andy in SA if there is active large fire nearby we usually send a QRV (land cruiser usually fire truck) in following the grader, I'm assuming there was too many events nearby to allow for this?

Either way, as I have said you guys are superb and brave as hell doing the work you do, us 'sprinklers' on the fire ground really do appreciate you!

Glad your safe!

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Normally we have atleast 1 if not 2 units to protect the grader operator,due to the number of fires at once help was thin on the ground to start with.I did have a unit following me,they were chasing spotting at the time.
Andrew

Still a brave act Andrew...

Well done mate... as I said earlier, glad all ended well..

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

How was he caught? (I assume 'he', they nearly all are.)

John

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Possibly sited,they had a spotter plane follow him,did a runner when police tried stopping him.Crashed his car and was then found.Has been charged with traffic offences sofar,including excess .05.Guess they wont lay arson charges until they get more evidence.
Andrew

The full cost to put out a fire which was deliberately lit should be paid for by the perpetrator. This includes the cost of the fire fighters, their equipment and time and the cost of all the property damaged and destroyed. All assets are seized and disposed of to the state to recover the debt. If the poor sick arsehole does not have the funds, which 99.999% won't, they get put in goal and do hard labour at a set rate per day until the debt is repaid.

If persons are injured and/or killed as a result of their fire, they are also charges with assault or murder and do the time for this as well.

This slap on the wrist or "he must have mental problems" argument does not cut it anymore. Do the crime do the time - and pay for it.

I am very glad to hear someone has your back Andy,,

and just how fast is Alotta Fagina ?? :angel:

"hard labour at a set rate per day until the debt is repaid." Nice thought but it ain't ever going to happen as all the apologists for idiotic behaviour would scream about it being an abuse of their human rights!
Plus a weak judiciary wouldn't hand out any sentence including hard labour.
AlanH

The 2013 fires down my way were deliberately lit. When the Sun went down and the Choppers went home my property and everything in it that i had worked for for the best part of 40 years was under threat. I had several laundry emergencies with spot fires etc over the next few hours and if i could have got hold of the fugger who started it I would have torn him to pieces.
Cheers,
D