Teen girl charged with lighting bushfire
A TEENAGE girl has been charged with starting a fire that damaged one home and threatened dozens more in Melbourne’s southeast.
It took more than 300 firefighters to contain the blaze in Carrum Downs on Saturday, with 50 fire appliances in attendance.
The 15-year-old girl has been charged with intentionally starting a bushfire after the blaze badly damaged a family home on Darnley Drive and put the entire street at risk on Saturday.
The teenager has been bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date, Victoria Police said yesterday.
The fire started in Blue Wren Rise just before 3pm on Saturday, a day authorities had declared a total fire ban as temperatures across the state soared above 40C.
It soon spread to surround- ing dense scrubland and prompted the evacuation of 30 residents from Darnley Drive and Augusta Court.
One family home was severely damaged when embers got into an evaporative air conditioning unit.
No one was injured but the family cannot return home.
The blaze also damaged sheds, fences and a motorhome.
Fire crews yesterday con- tinued to black out areas after spending Saturday night extinguishing hot spots.
Crews will remain in the area to patrol and monitor conditions, with residents advised to expect some smoke.
Residents in and around the western Victorian town of Glenormiston were also be affected by smoke yesterday as firefighters put out smouldering hay bails from a now under-control fire.