A shocking case has emerged in New South Wales, where a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter has been charged with deliberately lighting bushfires across western Sydney.
The teenager was arrested early Wednesday in the Lower Blue Mountains following a months-long investigation by Strike Force Tronto, a police taskforce established to target bushfire arsonists.
Detectives identified a pattern of intentionally lit fires in the Wallacia area between June 23 and September 7. With assistance from the NSW Rural Fire Service, investigators allegedly traced the fires back to the teenager, who is accused of igniting several blazes and then returning to help extinguish them as part of his volunteer duties.
He now faces three counts of intentionally starting a fire and two counts of making a false representation. The youth was refused bail and appeared before a children’s court on Thursday.
The incident has sparked widespread concern within firefighting circles, with senior officials calling for tighter screening and psychological assessments of volunteer applicants, especially as Queensland and NSW brace for one of their most dangerous fire seasons in recent years due to prolonged dry conditions and strong winds.
Authorities are urging members of the public with any information regarding deliberately lit fires to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
