Four men from the Warwick area have been charged by the Queensland Police in connection with the devastating bushfires on Fraser Island.
In a statement released earlier today, Tuesday 22 December, police said “four people have been charged with unlawfully lighting fires on K’Gari (Fraser Island) following a joint investigation involving Queensland Police and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS)”.
“A 24-year-old Warwick man has been charged with the unlawful lighting of a fire and leaving a fire unattended.
“A 21-year-old Rosenthal Heights man, a 24-year-old Rosenthal Heights man and a 23-year-old Massie man have been charged with one count each of the unlawful lighting of fires.
“They will appear in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on January 21.
“A 17-year-old boy will be dealt with according to the provisions of the Youth Justice Act 1992.
“It will be alleged on October 14, QPWS rangers on K’Gari were alerted to an illegal campfire within the Duling Camp Zone of Eastern Beach, north of Orange Creek.
“Rangers attended and located a campfire that was covered in sand though still radiating heat.
“Native vegetation in close proximity had caught alight and started a wildfire to the north west of the camp site.
“This wildfire subsequently took hold and over the following weeks burned extensive parts of the world heritage listed island.
“In total, it is estimated this fire has burned approximately 87,000 hectares of the Island and required extensive firefighting efforts to bring under control.
“On December 21, detectives from Maryborough CIB charged four people in relation to lighting an unauthorised campfire which was not properly extinguished.”
The individuals have not been named by police at this point and are not in custody, having been issued with notices to appear in court in January.
