Australia

Wildfire death toll rises, arsonists could be charged with murder

Article published on the 2009-02-08 Latest update 2009-02-08 16:43 TU

A firefighter inspects the remains of a house destroyed in Wandong, 55 kilometres north of Melbourne.
(Photo: Reuters)

At least 93 people have died in brush fires that have burned through the southeast of Australia since late Saturday, in the towns and farmland near Melbourne. Police say some of the fires may have been started by arsonists. All were fanned and spread by high winds and temperatures reaching 46 degrees Celsius.

"Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours,” said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

He has sent army units to help the 3,000 firelighters working to contain the sheets of flames that have passed through the bone-dry region, which has been through a prolonged drought.

Firelighters were also facing fires in New South Wales State in the north.

“We knew it was going to be a bad day, but unfortunately it culminated in a lot worse than we anticipated,” Wayne Wilson, a spokesperson for the Victoria Police, told RFI. He and his teams have been out looking for bodies and survivors in the forested areas north and east of Melbourne.

“Over the last 24 hours or so, the difficulty has been getting to some of these areas to actually carry out searches,” said Wilson. “When areas have been made safe, search teams have gone in. It’s quite a big job searching through the houses, the cars, the sheds.”

The death toll rose throughout Sunday as rescue workers arrived in towns that had been destroyed by the flames. Many people died in their cars, as they tried to escape the flames.

Wilson said that rescue workers have been trying to identify victims, with the help of specialists, but that it will take time.

“This could take quite a number of weeks in all, by the time we go to all the premises and actually come across all the people,” he said.

The popular tourist town of Marysville was completely burned to the ground. According to Victoria State’s Country Fire Authority, only one building was left standing, though no one was killed there.

Police said arsonists were behind some of the fires.

"Some of these fires have started in localities that could only be by hand, it could not be natural causes," said Victoria State Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe.

Arsonists involved in the fires in which people died could be charged with murder.

“They can be charged with murder, it depends on the evidence that comes to hand,” said a police spokesperson. “They could be charged with manslaughter or they could be charged with murder.”

Police in New South Wales State said they were questioning a man over a fire they say he set Saturday at Peats ridge, north of Sydney.

Victoria’s Country Fire Authority said some fires had been relit, likely by arsonists. Wayne Wilson of the Victoria Police said that fires weather conditions are helping to contain fires that are still burning.

“The weather fortunately has improved,” he said. “It’s now probably in the 20s today and there has been a little rain in some places, so it’s helping.”

But Victoria State Premier John Brumby warned there was no end in sight: "It's not over yet by a long shot," he said.