By DANIELLE GALVIN
ARSONISTS who have wreaked havoc across Cardinia this fire season need to be hunted down before next summer.
Fire fighters have been quick to act to control four major blazes since January, including a fire at Officer last week, but investigators have warned that the search for those who put lives, properties and business in danger has just begun.
CFA’s District 8 operations manager Trevor Owen said the community needed to be vigilant and tell the authorities about anything suspicious that might help police catch those responsible.
“We got through this summer relatively unscathed – but we came very close, next summer we might not be so lucky,” he said.
“It is very concerning that if we don’t catch these people between now and next summer, all it takes is one hot day with a northerly wind.”
Mr Owen said that investigations were ongoing, but that it wasn’t easy to catch an arsonist.
“The police and Fire Services Commissioner are looking at this issue more broadly,” he said.
“But I haven’t seen this amount of deliberate arson activity, or I certainly can’t recall a time when I have seen that amount of activity locally, particularly in Cardinia.”
On 17 January, arsonists started six separate fires that threatened countless homes in Reynolds, Army and Pakenham roads in Pakenham and Pakenham Upper.
Just last week, homes and businesses were under attack when a strong northerly wind pushed the flames of two fires in Officer towards properties. Only fences and sheds were lost.
“It has been a phenomenal year in terms of that action,” Mr Owen said.
In late February, four fires started along the Toomuc Creek were being treated as suspicious.
On March 9, more than one hundred fire-fighters and CFA aircraft were needed to put out six fires on Cardinia Road. Twenty-five fire trucks from across the region attended the scene.
Mr Owen said it was unclear whether the fires across Cardinia had been the result of one person, a group of people or if those responsible were residents.
“I would be surprised if it was just one person – there has been a fair amount of activity so it could be that it’s more than one person involved, whether it’s a group of people, it’s very concerning,” he said.
Mr Owen encouraged residents who had seen anything suspicious to contact police.
“The community needs to be observant – even if they don’t think it’s relevant, a small piece of information might be the missing clue,” he said.
“People go to great lengths to report the fires, but to my knowledge not a lot of people have come forward since then.”
For more on the Officer fire, turn to page 17. Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers or Pakenham police on 5945 2500.
