The fire was burning extensively across the island by early December. (Elspeth Murray)
... that left Fraser Island ablaze for two months
Four people have been charged with illegally lighting campfires that started the bushfires on Fraser Island (K’Gari) .
The charges followed a joint investigation involving Queensland police and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
Police said a 17-year-old boy was also allegedly involved and would be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
They said QPWS rangers were alerted to an illegal campfire on October 14 within the Duling camp zone of Eastern Beach, north of Orange Creek.
Rangers found a campfire that was covered in sand but still hot.
Native vegetation nearby had caught alight and started a wildfire to the north-west of the camp site.
(Chris Gillette)
This wildfire subsequently took hold and over the following weeks burnt out about 87,000 hectares of the World Heritage-listed island.
Detective Senior Sergeant David Harbison from Maryborough CIB said the men were very remorseful after learning their campfire allegedly sparked the wildfire.
“They’re shocked and devastated themselves, these are young persons that were there enjoying themselves,” he said.
“They were careless, but they never intended this to happen.”
Extensive firefighting efforts were required to help bring the bushfires under control and the community of Happy Valley only narrowly escaped destruction.
Bushfires were finally brought under control when heavy rain fell on the island.
Senior Sergeant Harbison said witnesses on the island helped police identify the men.
“The act was one of stupidity, lighting unauthorised fires on Fraser Island … and what would flow from there was catastrophic.
“This fire had a devastating impact on Fraser Island and was quite simply avoidable.”
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 man and a 24-year-old man, both from Rosenthal Heights, near Warwick, and a 23-year-old man from Massie, north of Warwick, have all been charged with one count each of unlawfully lighting a fire.
They will appear in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on January 21.
Source
ABC News
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