Firebug strikes

By Melissa Meehan
A SECOND fire bug in as many months is on the loose.
As detectives last week charged a man over a spate of fires in Springvale, another offender was lighting fires in the Dandenong area.
Aaron Lee Duggan, 22, was arrested by the Greater Dandenong Crime Investigation Unit on Thursday and charged with 10 counts of criminal damage by fire, over fires started during August and September this year.
In addition to these charges Mr Duggan has been charged with another count of reckless conduct endangering life, five counts of attempted theft from a motor vehicle and one count of burglary.
He was remanded in custody to face Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for a mention in November.
But police believe six fires in Dandenong industrial areas in the past week may be linked to a new firebug in the area.
Detective Senior Constable Stuart Freeman said while the Dandenong fires were of a different nature from each other, police were concerned that there are individuals accessing and utilising flammable and explosive materials such as gas.
On Tuesday, 15 September, police were called to a business in Dunn Crescent, Dandenong, when a worker noticed that there was a bin burnt outside the factory beside an exposed gas bottle.
At 6pm the same day an employee of a Cheltenham Road tuning business noticed a dumpmaster had been set alight outside the factory.
At 10.50pm that night a small truck was set alight in an Elliot Road business’ driveway.
Witnesses notified police that there was a dark-coloured Ford station wagon leaving the scene in a hurry a short time after.
At 8.45am the next day police were called to an Agana Avenue address in Noble Park where the backyard fence was set alight.
The same day a small grass fire was started at about 5.45pm in the Hidden Grove estate in an area that separates residential properties from rural areas.
Det Freeman said while the fire was in no danger of spreading to buildings, property or persons nearby it was an unusual setting for a deliberately lit fire.
On Friday, 18 September, a wooden letterbox in Raymond Street, Dandenong, was set alight about 2.30am. While Det Freeman said there was no suggestion that the letterbox fire was related to the other fires he said there were similarities in how all fires were started.
Anyone who has information in relation to any of the above fires, or anyone who sees people acting suspiciously around industrial zones is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.