Police update community on suspected deliberately lit fires | October 24, 2023 | Macleay Argus - video Dailymotion

Mid North Coast Police detective Inspector Peter O'Reilly provides an update on suspected deliberately lit bushfires.

Transcript

00:00 About 4pm last Tuesday afternoon, emergency services were called to a bushfire on McGuire's

00:06 crossing road at Belmore River, east of Kempsey.

00:10 It was a significant fire which has since burned out approximately 3,000 hectares through

00:16 the Hathead National Park.

00:18 That fire posed significant threat to Hathead during that evening and isolated the township

00:24 for a period of time.

00:27 Our investigators have teamed with investigators from the State Crime Command arson squad to

00:32 investigate the circumstances of that fire following our initial investigations which

00:38 would indicate that the ignition was deliberate.

00:43 We are seeking assistance from the public to provide us with information.

00:49 A white Nissan Patrol Trayback utility was seen in the area at the time.

00:55 The utility had a broken taillight.

00:58 We are very interested to identify the driver or the people who were occupying that vehicle

01:03 at the time as part of our investigation.

01:06 As part of our investigations, NSW Police will work with the RFS on fires, the circumstances

01:14 and the origin of those fires and the investigations around that for this fire and a couple of

01:21 other fires which occurred on that day indicate that they have been deliberately lit.

01:26 It posed a threat to the township of Hathead on that night and the township was isolated

01:33 for several hours.

01:36 We take this very seriously.

01:38 These people lighting these fires are posing significant threat to the lives and property

01:43 of people in our community.

01:46 We call to the public that if they have information, if they have CCTV footage, if they know of

01:53 this particular vehicle to contact the investigators at Kempsey Police Station or if they wish

01:59 to they can also speak with Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

02:05 Thank you.

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