A former volunteer firefighter accused of going to fight the very fire he lit has been granted court bail on a number of strict conditions, including a ban on contacting Triple Zero and that he not have a lighter or matches in his possession.
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Ashmont man Daniel Dennis, 33, faced the Wagga Local Court on Wednesday morning after he allegedly deliberately lit a fire and made false reports of other fires.
Detectives attached to the NSW Police Force's State Crime Command charged Dennis earlier this month.
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Shortly after 2.10am on December 11 last year, a passing NSW Ambulance vehicle observed a small grass fire on Kapooka Road at San Isidore and contacted emergency services.
Crews from the NSW Rural Fire Service arrived and extinguished the flames.
The cause of the blaze was deemed suspicious and referred to police for further investigation.
In January, Strike Force Tronto - made up of 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 San Isidore 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. Dennis was arrested at the home.
He was taken to Wagga police station and charged with intentionally causing a fire and being reckless as to its spread and making a false call to an emergency service number.
Police documents tendered to the court allege Dennis deliberately lit the grass fire at San Isidore and allowed it to spread to vegetation along the side of Kapooka Road, near the Sturt Highway intersection.
It is alleged he then attended the blaze as a volunteer firefighter to extinguish it.
Police also claim Dennis made more than 200 false calls to Triple Zero of a "vexatious nature".
Police said he requested emergency assistance for other fires in the area, which either did not exist or were contained prior to the arrival of emergency services.
In court on Wednesday, Dennis was granted bail with a number of strict conditions, including an order that he must not contact Triple Zero except in the case of an emergency.
He must also not be found in possession of a lighter, matches or any other item capable of starting a fire while in a public place.
Dennis was further ordered to surrender all his NSW Rural Fire Service uniforms, identification or items belonging to the RFS.
The matter will return before the Wagga Local Court on March 1.
Investigations are continuing under Strike Force Madrer.
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