General News
24 January, 2025
Three suspicious local fires across two days
The cause of the latest in three fires across the district is yet to be determined, but it's believed to be suspicious, similar to other fires this week.
Emergency services attended a number of suspicious fires across the district this week, with the efforts of local fire brigades described as “sensational” in preventing property loss and damage.
Emergency services were called to a fire just before 4 pm on Wednesday along the Pyrenees Highway in Bung Bong.
While the Central Goldfields Crime Investigation Unit said the cause of the fire is currently undetermined, it’s believed to be suspicious.
The grass and scrub fire, which burnt 100 hectares and had over 20 firefighting vehicles respond, “had real potential” to become a larger scale fire according to Avoca Fire Brigade Captain, Aaron McHoul.
“The wind just pushed it up over the top of the hill and off she went,” he said.
Alongside firefighters coming from all over the region, Mr McHoul is specifically grateful for how quickly helicopters got into the air.
“Sensational save,” he said.
Due to their combined efforts the fire was brought under control by 9.30 pm that night.
Mr McHoul encouraged the community to report any suspicious behaviour they see in the community.
“I would rather turn out to nothing or have the police look at somebody and find they’ve got nothing to answer for, but we might be lucky enough to track down this person or persons,” he said.
Wednesday’s fire follows two similar incidents on the Pyrenees Highway in Carisbrook the day prior.
Brigades were called to the intersection of the Pyrenees Highway and Bald Hill Road just after 3 pm on Tuesday.
As emergency services responded, another fire was reported at 3.30 pm approximately four kilometres east along the Pyrenees Highway in Moolort.
Both fires were attended by fire brigades from Maryborough, Carisbrook, Baringhup, Talbot and Moolort and were under control by 4 pm.
These fires were also attended by police and are being investigated.
Carisbrook Fire Brigade Captain Ian Boucher said both fires are treated as suspicious.
“We noticed another fire that was on the other side of the road, it follows a pattern similar with recent fires. Fire investigators were there on Tuesday night, so it’s definitely being treated as suspicious” he said.
“To be starting these fires is pretty brazen, one day this could happen and it could get bigger.”
He said anyone with information relating to either fire should contact police.
“If anybody sees anything or has any dashcam footage, there’s a lot of cars that go down the Pyrenees Highway, please tell police,” Captain Boucher said.