Australia: Arson? 200 Arrests

For liberals, it’s more fun to blame climate change than arsonists for Australian fires – but 200 arrests show it’s not so simple

Dozens arrested for arson as deadly wildfires ravage Australia
1-7-20, Two hundred people arrested for arson in Australia;  85% of bushfires started by humans… most deliberately. The fires are primarily raging in New South Wales, which is home to Sydney and more than seven million people.  The fires have killed 25 people [that's known so far] and destroyed hundreds of millions of animals and livestock, thousands of homes and more than 19 million acres of land. [..] Those charged with arson could face harsh penalties, including manslaughter, which carries a penalty of 25 years in prison. Police in New South Wales have taken legal action against 183+ people for fire-related offenses since early November 2019, including "discarding a lighted cigarette or match on land." More here

​Bushfire arson: Why do people deliberately light bushfires?
11-13-19, Australia's most notorious bushfire arsonist is Brendan Sokaluk, a former Victorian Country Fire Authority volunteer, who killed 10 people when he deliberately lit a bushfire on Black Saturday. Sokaluk became one of Victoria's worst killers in 2009 when his fire killed 10 and razed more than 150 homes.

Australian Rainforest burning
9-10-19, Guardian -- In Australia 50% of the Great Barrier Reef, the potential loss of these areas is burning ... there are about 80 fires in Queensland and a further 60 blazes raging through New South Wales. The maps show the east coast terrifyingly lit up like a grotesque Christmas tree. Many of these fires are burning out of control as the relentlessly gusty winds ground the firefighting aircraft needed to bring the blazes under control.

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As of January 6, 2020:
Twenty-five people dead
Destroyed: 1588 homes, 153 facilities, 3122 outbuildings
Burned: 19 million acres
Source: ​here