TWO arson offences out of more than 140 in the Bendigo region over the past five years have related to bushfires, data from Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency shows.
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From the beginning of the 2010-11 financial year until June 30 this year, 145 arson-related offences were recorded in Bendigo.
The two arson offences that caused a bushfire came in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Of the remaining 143, 123 were for causing damage by fire and 20 were considered “other fire-related” offences.
Both the CFA and police say they have committed to increasing public awareness of the devastating consequences of bushfires and encouraged more vigilant reporting of suspicious behaviour since the Black Saturday fires of 2009.
A fire in Bendigo that February claimed the life of one man and destroyed 58 homes as firefighters battled the blaze in 46-degree heat. Two youths were accused of lighting the fire but later deemed unfit to stand trial.
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Included in Victoria Police’s approach to reducing bushfire arson is its “Operation Firesetter” program, which sets its sights on high-risk locations and times, crime prevention activities and monitoring of “persons of interest”.
Acting Inspector Craig Gaffee said police had also been called to multiple incidents of people lighting campfires or bonfires in their backyards during total fire bans or a declared fire-danger period.
Lighting a fire on a day of total fire ban is an offence not included in arson data.
“We’ve been called because there’s been some kind of fire,” he said.
“It’s not just those deliberately lighting a fire either. It’s (starting a fire) through reckless activity – using angle grinders, ride-on lawnmowers and slashing grass without considering the consequences.”
Many people in the region, however, were well aware of the dangers of fire and reported suspicious behaviour, Mr Gaffee added.
“We get good cooperation from people in central Victoria as far as reporting suspicious activity goes,” he said. “We get quite a lot of information.”
Bendigo’s bushfire data is largely consistent with the rest of regional Victoria.
The CSA data shows that about 2 per cent of arson offences recorded across 18 regional areas over the past five years have related to a deliberately or recklessly lit bushfire.
Ararat, where 10 offences were recorded last year alone and 11 overall, proved an exception.
Temperatures in Bendigo are forecast to reach 38 on Thursday and 39 on Friday.
