Former volunteer firefighter accused of deliberately lighting grass fire at San Isidore

Police allege the 33-year-old man deliberately lit a grass fire near Kapooka before attending the fire as a volunteer to extinguish it.

About 2.10am on December 11 last year a passing ambulance noticed a small grass fire on Kapooka Road at San Isidore and contacted emergency services.

The RFS arrived and extinguished the flames, but the cause of the blaze was deemed suspicious and referred to police.

In January 2023, detectives from the State Crime Command's Financial Crime Squad Arson Unit, Riverina Police District and RFS fire investigators launched Strike Force Madrer to investigate the fire and a number of other suspicious fires in the Wagga area during December and January.

Following inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant and a digital evidence access order at a home on Bardia Street in Ashmont on February 9, where they arrested the 33-year-old man.

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Police also allege the former volunteer made "numerous" false reports of other fires to Triple Zero '000' in 2022, for fires which either didn't exist or were contained prior to emergency services arriving.

He was taken to Wagga police station and charged with intentionally causing a fire and being reckless as to its spread.

He was also charged with making false call to an emergency service number.

He was granted conditional bail to appear at Wagga Local Court on Wednesday.

Anyone with information about deliberately lit fires is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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