DONNYBROOK man Stephen Kenneth Johnson, 23, faced court on Monday, February 22 over three counts of wilfully lighting, or causing to be lit, a fire likely to injure or damage.
Donnybrook police arrested Mr Johnson, who is a volunteer firefighter with the Argyle Bushfire Brigade and a member of the Donnybrook SES, as part of a joint operation conducted with South West Detectives into deliberately lit fires within the Donnybrook area in December 2015.
He was charged with deliberately lighting two fires on December 22, 2015 and a third on December 28, 2015.
Police have been informed that the last fire was estimated to have had a significant financial impact on community and emergency services.
Mr Johnson appeared before a Northbridge court via video link on February 21, and then at Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Monday February 22, where he was taken into custody.
He had surety and bail was extended. Charges were not read and he did not enter pleas.
He will appear again in Bunbury on April 4.
Donnybrook Police Officer in Charge Sergeant Ryan van der Heide said 12 fires had been deliberately lit around the Donnybrook and Kirup town sites between December 1, 2015 and January 10, 2016.
“Our investigations identified the person of interest, and after assisting us with our enquiries, he was charged with three of the fires,” he said.
Sgt van der Heide said the observations of local police when attending the fires, in addition to information received from the general public, had led to the arrest.
The maximum penalty for arson is life imprisonment.
