Arson Evidence Mounts as Australia Police Release Wildfire Suspect Picture
Thursday , February 12, 2009
Fears are mounting in Australia that arsonists lit one of the deadly wildfires that may have killed as many as 100 people.
Police now suspect arsonists could have caused the deaths of more than 130 people in the weekend's horrific fires.
As another deliberately lit fire broke out in Ivanhoe,in eastern Melbourne, Premier John Brumby confirmed police were investigating the causes of several blazes around the state.
Police have released a computer image of a man, in his 20s, who was seen before the Ivanhoe fire broke out.
And a Country Fire Authority volunteer who spent the week battling bushfires has died in a suspicious house fire in Melbourne.
CFA volunteers are still battling 15 fires across Victoria after containing 17 others and bringing 99 under control.
Brumby said Wednesday a large police team was making progress with its investigation into the blazes that had killed 181 people and destroyed 1,069 homes. "It's devastating," he said.
Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said evidence was mounting that the Marysville inferno was deliberately lit.
"There are a number of the other fires that fire investigators believe have been suspicious because of the way the fire behaved, and there's the suggestion that perhaps the Marysville fire was deliberately lit," she said.
Two men arrested at Taggerty on suspicion of arson were released without charge.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland also said fires that have claimed the lives of 21 Gippslanders might have been the work of a serial arsonist.
Overland said police were close to releasing a sketch of the suspect in the Gippsland fires.
"There has been a serial arsonist in this area for some period time and we have been working on that," he said.
Glad to hear you are ok Andrew X, I think you read that headline wrong, that is wildfire, not wildlife! They say the wildlife will reach the tens of thousands, and there are many species in that area that are in small numbers and worried they will become extinct. I have friends from Marysville and Kinglake.
The greatest problem is that many people had no idea there was a fire anywhere near them, the CFA can not go house to house, all this talk of what to do, and fires are always going to be in Victoria every summer, I think that they need a alarm siren like they have up north, most towns have a fire siren, but I live 4 km out of town and we can not hear it! Each property should have one to give people a chance to get out before itââ¬â¢s too late.
Australian bush fires: Millions of animals feared dead
Millions of animals are estimated to have died in the ferocious Black Saturday bushfires that swept across countryside, towns and farmland in Australia's southeast.
By Bonnie Malkin in Melbourne
Last Updated: 12:15PM GMT 12 Feb 2009
A video of the furry animal being offered water by a firefighter has been released. ; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link...1813046001
Kangaroos, wombats, native birds and reptiles stood little chance against the swiftly advancing blazes that devastated more than 400,000 hectares in the state of Victoria.
Corpses of dead wallabies and kangaroos still lined roads in the worst-hit areas, with rescue crews were too busy to clear them from sight. There were also reports of birds and bats falling out of the sky during the fires. One turtle was found with its shell fused together. Another wallaby suffered singed ears.
It is feared that many of the animals that managed to survive the inferno could still die from hunger, after all of their normal food sources were incinerated.
Wildlife experts said wombats that had sheltered in their burrows to survive the blazes now faced starving to death unless they were rescued.
Kangaroos that survived are suffering from burned feet, a result of their territorial behavior. After escaping the initial flames, the creatures - which prefer to stay in one area - likely circled back to their homes, singeing their feet on the smoldering ground.
"It's just horrific," said Neil Morgan, president of the Statewide Wildlife Rescue Emergency Service in Victoria. "It's disaster all around for humans and animals as well."
Hundreds of burned, stressed and dehydrated animals, including kangaroos, koalas, possums, lizards and birds, have already arrived at shelters across the scorched region. Rescuers have doled out antibiotics, pain relievers and fluids in a bid to keep them comfortable, but some of the severely injured were euthanized to spare any more suffering. Others face months of painful rehabilitation.
In some of the hardest-hit areas, rescuers used vaporizing tents to help creatures whose lungs were burned by the searing heat and smoke.
John Rowdon, president of Wildlife Victoria, said one joey had been found with "crispy fried ears".
"[He] stuck his head out of his mum's pouch and lost all his whiskers and cooked up his nose," he said. "They're the ones your hearts really go out to."
A koala, nicknamed "Sam" by her rescuers, has become an international star after she was found moving gingerly on scorched paws by a fire patrol. A video posted on the internet shows firefighter David Tree offering the animal a bottle of water, which she eagerly accepts, holding Mr Tree's hand as he pours water into her mouth.
Coleen Wood, manager of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter, said the plight of one turtle illustrated just how ferocious the fires were.
"We had a turtle come through that was just about melted still alive," she said. "The whole thing was just fused together it was just horrendous. It just goes to show how intense (the fire) was in the area."
Volunteers from the animal welfare group Victorian Advocates for Animals filled 10 giant bins with 2,300 dead grey-headed flying foxes that succumbed to heat stroke Saturday, said Lawrence Pope, the group's president. Volunteers tried to save some of the bats by giving them fluids and keeping them cool, he said, but the creatures were simply too stressed and perished.
"It's heartbreaking. They're very endearing animals and to see them die right before our eyes is something that wildlife rescuers and carers just find appalling."
Hundreds of domestic animals have also been killed and injured by the fires. RSPCA centres have been set up in the towns of Kinglake, Yea and Marysville to treat pets affected by the blazes.
The official human death toll stood at 181 from weekend's deadly fires and authorities said it would exceed 200. While the scope of the wildlife devastation was still unclear, it was likely to be enormous, Mr Rowdon said.
Residents in Kinglake were also desperate for animal feed for birds, horses and sheep.
Maria Mercurio, chief executive of RSPCA Victoria, said the full extent of the suffering was still becoming clear. RSPCA vets were working around the clock to save animals, but some horses and sheep would only start displaying symptoms of smoke inhalation in the coming days, she said.
"They will have difficulty breathing and swallowing and respiratory problems which are indicative of burns in the lungs and throat."
Several dogs and cats had been found by rescue teams hiding under burned out houses, however the fate of many of their owners was still unclear, she said.
Man charged with arson in Australian wildfire: report
by Amy Coopes Amy Coopes
17 mins ago
WHITTLESEA, Australia (AFP) ââ¬â A man was charged in an Australian court Friday with arson causing death in connection with a wildfire that killed 21 people, Sky news said.
The man had been moved from the small town where he was arrested to Victoria's state capital Melbourne for his own safety and no details of his identity had ben released, the report said.
He faces three charges -- arson causing death, intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire, and possessing child pornography, Sky said.
The destruction wrought by Australia's deadly bushfires came into shocking focus Friday after authorities almost doubled the number of homes destroyed.
As police hunted arsonists blamed for some of the fires, authorities said more than 1,800 houses were razed by the worst wildfires in the nation's history that killed at least 181 people in southeastern Victoria state.
"The number has jumped from 1,069 yesterday to 1,831 properties today," Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said.
The scale of destruction had emerged as more resources including military planes were engaged in the damage assessment and clean-up operation across a vast area of farms and eucalypt forest, he said.
Heatwave temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) combined with strong winds and tinder-dry scrub to produce a firestorm that razed some 450,000 hectares (1.1 million acres) on Saturday.
Authorities expect the death toll to rise beyond 200 as more charred ruins are inspected for bodies, especially in the town of Marysville northeast of Melbourne where about 100 people are feared to have died.
A new fire warning for nearby Healesville was downgraded after traumatised residents spent the night preparing to defend their homes again from flames and embers bursting out of the surrounding bush.
But they were told to remain vigilant due to a "high level of fire activity."
"People in the area need to remain alert as there may not be a warning should conditions change unexpectedly," the Country Fire Authority said.
Healesville resident Adam Menary told national radio that people in the town were anxious. "It's a pretty tough time for people," he said.
About 20 wildfires were still burning across Victoria but firefighters were taking advantage of cooler conditions to work on fire containment measures, and most threat warnings have been lowered.
Victoria police chief Christine Nixon said investigators were closing in on arsonists accused of lighting at least one of the deadly blazes, as scores of officers continued the largest arson investigation in the country's history.
A suspect was being questioned over the bushfires but had not been charged with any crime, a police spokesman said.
But he could not confirm media reports that a 39-year-old man from Churchill, a rural town in the fire zone, would appear in court later Friday charged with arson.
Two men questioned in relation to the Churchill fires on Thursday were released the same day without charge.
Nixon has said the Churchill district fires were clearly the work of arsonists and the blaze that flattened Marysville was also being treated as suspicious.
Millions of dollars were pouring into a Red Cross relief fund as newspapers continued to fill their pages with tales of survival, grief and desperation from families returning to the warped and charred remains of their homes.
Australian actor Nicole Kidman and her husband, country singer Keith Urban, pledged 500,000 Australian dollars (327,000 US) to a Red Cross relief fund through a fundraising telethon broadcast on the Nine Network overnight.
A Red Cross spokeswoman said almost 66 million dollars had been raised for the relief fund through public donations, but "many millions more" had been pledged through the telethon and corporate and government donations.
By TANALEE SMITH, Associated Press Writer
50 mins ago
MELBOURNE, Australia ââ¬â A court lifted the ban Monday on identifying the only arson suspect so far in Australia's recent deadly wildfires, and authorities urged people not to target him in their rage over the disaster's more than 180 deaths.
The case of Brendan Sokaluk, a 39-year-old man accused of lighting one of hundreds of fires that swept southern Victoria state on Feb. 7, went before a court packed with media and onlookers Monday, but he chose to stay in police protective custody rather than attend.
Sokaluk was arrested Friday and charged with one count of arson causing death and one of lighting a wildfire in connection to a blaze known as the Churchill fire. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years on the first charge, and 15 years on the second. He was also charged with possessing child pornography, which carries a 5-year maximum sentence.
Extremely hot, dry and windy conditions on Feb. 7 fanned dozens of fires into raging infernos that reduced entire towns to ashes. The confirmed death toll is 181 but is expected to exceed 200. More than 1,800 homes were destroyed and 7,500 people displaced.
A police document presented to the court alleges that Sokaluk "intentionally and without lawful excuse" set fire to a timber plantation in southeastern Victoria state on Feb. 7 and "did thereby commit arson causing the death of another person." The document did not name or give a number to the victims.
Officials have said previously that the Churchill fire killed at least 21 people, though officials cited only 11 deaths in court. They did not immediately explain the discrepancy, but one reason could be that the charges are connected to just part of the fire.
Experts say deadly arson in wildfire cases is difficult to prove, partly because different wildfires often join one another, making it tough to link a fire set by an arsonist with the blaze that eventually kills people. The Churchill fire was one such combination of blazes.
Police suspect arson in at least two other fires, but have ruled out foul play in the rest.
In Monday's brief hearing, defense lawyer Helen Spowart argued that Sokaluk's name should stay a secret because of an unusual level of public anger and disgust over the case. Prosecutor Chris Beale agreed there were strong community feelings against the suspect.
Magistrate John Klestadt agreed to ban publication of photographs of Sokaluk or his address, but not his name.
"Those suspected of vigilantism would not be prevented from behaving in an abhorrent way simply by suppressing his name," Klestadt said.
Spowart did not enter a plea on Sokaluk's behalf. He was ordered to remain in custody until another hearing May 26.
Earlier Monday, Victoria Police Chief Christine Nixon said security around Sokaluk would be high, and urged people to let the justice system do its work.
"We hope that we don't have to deal with a gang of people who are angry and concerned about this arrest ââ¬â we know people are," Nixon told reporters. "We will make sure he is protected and can go before the justice system, as he should, and be dealt with through that process."
On a page appearing to belong to Sokaluk on the social networking Web site MySpace, he describes himself as a lovelorn single man who's hoping to find a young wife. He writes that his hero is "mother earth with out her we all would be dead." He lists his occupation as "semi-retired" and describes himself as a "young happy male who wants to meet a young loven female to marrid."
He says he's a fan of country music and the television shows "CSI" and "Cops." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was listed as one of Sokaluk's friends, but soon after the suspect's name became public, Rudd disappeared from the friend list.
A spokeswoman for the Victorian Country Fire Authority said the suspect charged in the Churchill fire may have been a volunteer firefighter 20 years ago. She spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy, and declined to elaborate.
A Facebook group entitled "Brendan Sokaluk, the Victorian Bushfires Arsonist, must burn in hell" had already attracted more than 1,200 members by Monday morning.
Rudd announced a national day of mourning for fire victims will be held Sunday, with an official ceremony at the 14,820-capacity Australian Open tennis arena.
Officials said favorable weather conditions for the next few days will help control eight fires still burning out of control in Victoria.
SYDNEY, Australia ââ¬â A man accused of setting one of the deadly fires that ripped across southern Australia this month has been placed in protective custody amid widespread fury and threats of vigilante justice that sprang up on the Internet after his identity was made public.
The man, Brendan Sokaluk, was arrested Friday and charged with arson causing death; he is suspected of setting a fire near Churchill, in the Gippsland region east of Melbourne, that killed at least 10 people and destroyed 200 homes. Mr. Sokaluk, 39, was also charged with deliberately lighting a forest fire and possessing child pornography.
A court at first ordered that Mr. Sokalukââ¬â¢s identity be withheld for fear of revenge attacks on his family. But within hours of his arrest, several Australian newspapers had published detailed profiles that all but named him, pieced together from entries he had posted on social networking sites and from interviews with his neighbors.
His defense lawyer, Helen Spowart, failed to convince a judge on Monday that Mr. Sokalukââ¬â¢s identity should remain a secret because of the public outrage.
ââ¬ÅWhatever the court does, his identity will be well known within days,ââ¬Â Magistrate John Klestadt said, according to local news media. ââ¬ÅThose suspected of vigilantism would not be prevented from behaving in an abhorrent way simply by suppressing his name.ââ¬Â
The judge agreed to ban publication of photographs of Mr. Sokaluk, and any mention of his home address. Mr. Sokaluk, who did not appear in court and did not enter a plea, was placed in an extra-secure cell in Melbourne, his lawyer said.
The local news media reported that on the day of Mr. Sokalukââ¬â¢s arrest, throngs of people descended on a police station in the Gippsland region where they believed he was being held, shouting and banging on the police van that transported him to a more secure facility. Shortly after his name was published on Monday, thousands of messages appeared on Facebook calling for him to be tortured and killed.
The most vehement postings disappeared by Tuesday morning, including one Facebook group declaring that ââ¬ÅBrendan Sokaluk, the Victorian Bushfires Arsonist, must burn in hell,ââ¬Â which had drawn nearly 4,000 members. Another group declared, ââ¬Å$10,000 on Brendan Sokalukââ¬â¢s head.ââ¬Â
The Victoria State Police Department said it had approached Facebook about pulling the sites, some of which appeared to violate the ban on publishing Mr. Sokalukââ¬â¢s photograph. Facebook confirmed that it had removed the groups because they had violated its code of conduct.
The police said in a statement that people were ââ¬Åunderstandably angry,ââ¬Â but that they ââ¬Åneed to let police do their job thoroughly and to allow the correct justice procedures take place.ââ¬Â
The police also said the death toll from the fires, which began on Feb. 7, had risen to 189.
Australia bushfires: More than 100 evacuated as fresh blazes erupt in Melbourne
Rising temperatures and strong winds pose new risk to beleaguered residents
Mark Tran and agencies guardian.co.uk, Monday 23 February 2009 10.06 GMT
Fresh fires broke out on the outskirts of Melbourne today, forcing the evacuation of more than 100 people, as the death toll from Australia's worst fire disaster rose to 210.
As firefighters battled three major blazes east of the city, residents from Warburton set up camp at a nearby sports ground to wait for the danger to pass. Helicopters dropped water in an attempt to douse the flames, and authorities warned several communities could be at risk because of strong winds, dry conditions and rising temperatures.
Under a "stay or go" bushfire policy, residents were urged to either leave their homes early and possibly stay away for several days, or be prepared to stay and defend their property.
"If you see flames, it is too late to leave," the state of Victoria's department of sustainability and environment said.
As Victoria in south-west Australia braced itself against the new threats, another person died over the weekend from injuries sustained in the 7 February fires, according to police. The fires from two weeks ago destroyed several small communities and about 1,800 houses, leaving about 7,000 people homeless.
Kevin Rudd, the Australian prime minister, said the national and state governments would pick up the cost of demolishing and clearing rubble from about 2,000 houses and businesses destroyed by the fires.
Many survivors of what has become known as Black Saturday complained they were given no warning of the deadly firestorms, which were driven by hot winds and record high summer temperatures in Victoria.
Robert McClelland, the attorney-general, said the government would introduce new telecommunications laws to parliament to allow state authorities to set up early-warning systems using telephone and text messages.
Australians observed a day of mourning yesterday, with thousands attending ceremonies across the country.
