Accused teen ‘lit fire then fought it’

A TEEN volunteer with the Rural Fire Service in NSW has been charged after allegedly lighting seven fires in the Bega Valley area.

Blake William Banner, 19, allegedly lit a fire on Tuesday afternoon next to the Bega river, left the area and returned to fight the fire for the RFS. He was arrested at a Tarraganda fire shed within two hours of the fire.

Banner was charged with causing the fire as well as six others since October 17, and appeared before Bega Local Court yesterday. He was granted conditional bail to return to the court on December 17.

As part of his bail agreement, Banner is not permitted to possess any firefighting equipment or implements.

The RFS said it had immediately stood down the 19year-old and had a “zero tolerance” approach to arson.

“Our members will be rightly angry that the alleged actions of one individual can tarnish the reputation and hard work of so many,” RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said in a statement yesterday.

“This type of alleged behaviour is the ultimate betrayal of our own members, and of the broader community.”

Almost 130 bush and grass fires were burning across NSW yesterday after lightning sparked fresh blazes during widespread thunderstorms.

The Bureau of Meteorology said thunderstorms which hit

Sydney on Tuesday afternoon and the state’s northeast in the evening had produced large hailstones and damaging winds – while lightning also sparked fresh fires.

As crews continued work to contain the fires, NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott helped launch a new campaign called “Are They Triple OK?” which aims to increase support for emergency workers.

The R U OK? suicide prevention organisation will provide free resources to foster a supportive work culture for firefighters and other personnel.

“Having just spent three weeks dealing with the bushfire emergency … I can tell you the prolonged exposure to destruction, loss of life, loss of property, loss of farmland and loss of our native flora and fauna will have an effect on the mental health of our firefighters, our SES members and our other emergency services volunteers,” Mr Elliott said.

“So (the campaign) is a very important part of ensuring we have sustainability when it comes to these individuals.”

THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED BEHAVIOUR IS THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL OF OUR OWN MEMBERS, AND OF THE BROADER COMMUNITY

SHANE FITZSIMMONS, RFS