More than 300 fires have been deliberately lit in Western Australia over the past two months.
Key points:
- There have been more than 1,600 bushfires in Perth since October 1
- More than 300 of those have been deliberately lit
- DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm says it makes a tough season even tougher
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm told ABC Radio Mornings there had been more than 1,600 bushfires since October 1.
“That’s a 70 per cent increase compared to the same period last year,” he said.
“Before Wanneroo we also had that series of lightning activity through the southern half of the state and that’s driven a lot of those fires.
“But equally, more than 300 of those 1,600 fires have also been deliberately lit.”
Commissioner Klemm said there had been “really active lightning systems” in the Kimberley, and in the Pilbara.
But he said it was disappointing there were so many deliberately lit blazes.
“Clearly [it’s] not the sort of activity that we’re looking for when we’re already facing a difficult bushfire season,” he said.
Commissioner Klemm said the aerial fleet had been fully mobilised, including Helitaks, two Blackhawks, fixed-wing water bombers and a large air tanker.
These were complemented by aerial intelligence helicopters, a line scanner aircraft which can fly 24 hours a day, taking scans of fire shapes and driving intelligence capabilities.
Commissioner Klemm warned that more than 90 per cent of Western Australia was now deemed as ‘bushfire prone’.
“That’s part of my responsibilities under our legislation to publish a bushfire prone map of the state and I do that every year and that number, 93 per cent has been pretty static and that’s based around some criteria of proximity to bush and these sorts of things.
“But it is a really sobering number.”
Union wants detail on spending
Meanwhile, the United Professional Firefighters Union has been asking for a different set of numbers — specifically, how funds from the Emergency Services Levy are being spent.
President Clem Chan said he wasn’t in a “finger pointing game”, or on a witch hunt.
“What we are wanting is just full transparency, understanding that the money is coming directly from Western Australians and we think that all the ratepayers have a right to know where that money is being spent,” Mr Chan said.
The union said DFES provided an annual report with “little or no detail” on the breakdown, and has called on members of the public to sign a petition to get answers.
Commissioner Klemm said as well as the annual report, the DFES budget was tabled in parliament and could be scrutinised.
“It’s spent on people, certainly salary of career firefighters is a key part of the budget, it’s spent on equipment like personal protective clothing, it’s spent on trucks,” he said.
“It’s spent on marine rescue vessels, so all the boats that are out there helping boaties every day of the year, it’s spent on the State Emergency Service in terms of providing them with vehicles and buildings.”
Commissioner Klemm said he was happy to meet with Clem Chan and the union to talk about the details.