Police will patrol high-risk bushland areas where offenders dump and torch cars in a bid to prevent deliberately lit fires from devastating communities this fire season.
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A stolen car, torched by unknown offenders, was the cause of a Meredith bushfire that burned through 16 hectares on December 12. Detectives are continuing to investigate the blaze as police remain alarmed by the number of cars being torched in areas including the Creswick State Forest.
Bacchus Marsh Police Senior Sergeant Jim Lappin said the Meredith fire was the first known local case where a deliberately lit car fire had spread, threatening homes, land and property.
Senior Sergeant Lappin said the “new trend” of stealing and torching cars had dramatically increased in the past 12 months.
The statewide Operation Firesetter, focusing on bushfire arson detection and prevention, was launched on Thursday. It will be activated during high-risk periods including severe, extreme or code red days. But, local police will also increase their patrols in high-risk locations.
“We will have dedicated patrol units tasked in areas where cars are commonly dumped,” Senior Sergeant Lappin said.
“A car fire has the potential to escalate.”
Moorabool Criminal Investigation Unit Detective Brian Malloch, who is the lead investigator for the Meredith bushfire, said police believe the car may have been torched overnight. Police believe the fire may have burned throughout the day, only spreading during strong afternoon winds.
“We have tracked the Meredith fire back to a car that was stolen from Geelong,” Detective Malloch said.
Ballarat Superintendent Andrew Allen said the warm stretch over Christmas would present challenges for authorities.
“There’s a huge bushfire risk out in rural areas and in grasslands and forest,” Superintendent Allen said.
“In these days of heat and strong northerly winds, there’s a real risk. We will be running overt and covert operations to stop offenders.”
Superintendent Allen said detectives had arrested a number of arsonists which he hoped would reduce the likelihood of routine suspicious fires in Lucas.
Anyone found guilty of recklessly or intentionally causing a bushfire faces a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.Lighting a fire on a total fire ban day can lead to $37,000 fine or two years in jail.