Two suspicious fires in Albany during high-risk summer season: police on ‘red alert’ and offender charged

Two suspicious fires were lit in different parts of Albany over a period of three days last week, with police laying charges for one, but still investigating the other. The first was a scrub fire reported to emergency services just before 9.30pm on Wednesday, on the corner of Vancouver and Mill streets. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services sent three crews from the Albany Fire and Rescue Service, and the fire, which measured around 5sqm, was extinguished quickly. A DFES spokesperson said police had a person of interest in custody on Thursday morning. Albany Det-Sen. Sgt Dean Bailey confirmed on Friday police had charged a 33-year-old man with failing to reasonably ensure a fire or ignition source did or would not cause a fire that could not be controlled. The second incident, also a scrub fire, was reported in Mt Melville via a triple-0 call about 6.15am on Friday morning, and was extinguished by firefighters from Albany Fire and Rescue Service before 6.30am. Police were dispatched to the scene about 7.15am, but did not make any arrests and are still investigating the incident. Albany officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Carlos Correia said the danger of bushfires, particularly during the summer season, could not be overstated. “The seriousness and the potential for loss of lives and property cannot be underestimated with bushfires, and that risk is made worse with criminals out there lighting fires indiscriminately,” he said. “Every year arson gets talked about, but every year this is a risk that continues when these people are out there. “The biggest message we want to send to the community is to report anything you see that you think is suspicious. “It might be innocent that someone’s out in the bush, but it could also very easily be sinister, so the best move is to call Crime Stoppers and let police do their job and make that call. “It’s high-risk season, and we will be on high alert probably until May with the bush and ignition that’s around and the weather.” Sen. Sgt Correia said Operation Vulcan — a police operation identifying and monitoring arsonists, and responding to deliberately lit bushfires — was still under way in Perth, and Albany police would continue with regular patrols of high-risk areas.