Firebug fear

By Bridget Cook
FEARS of a firebug targeting Springvale South have grown, following a recent spate of car and house fires over the past two weeks.
The most recent attack occurred on Sunday morning, when emergency services were called to a suspicious fire at a residential address in Andleon Way around 1.45am.
Police and fire crews arrived to find a garage had been set alight. The aluminium garage was detached from the residence where six adults were sleeping.
Police believe that this incident may be linked to more than eight suspicious fires in the area over the past weeks.
While nobody has been injured, police fear the firebug will strike again and are appealing for public assistance to help identify the culprits.
Amid concerns of a firebug, CFA headquarters recently knocked back a request for extra firefighters at the Springvale CFA.
The United Firefighters Union contacted CFA headquarters to ask for this extra staffing during the current emergency.
UFU national secretary Peter Marshall says increased fire resources are essential as Victoria Police steps up its efforts to find the perpetrator.
“After confirming that there was a problem in the Springvale area, they conferred and got back to us: No. There will be no extra firefighters at Springvale at this time. We believe the local community, particularly homeowners and businesses who pay for firefighting protection through their insurance levy, should be aware of this shortcoming.”
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Steve Warrington says the process has been followed precisely by CFA, as is required when making wide-ranging decisions that can directly impact communities right across the state.
“This is not simply a matter of identifying extra firefighters and distributing them across the state,” Mr Warrington said. “Firefighters must be trained, they require infrastructure to work out of, they require appliances to work with, and they require support staff to ensure they can perform their role properly.
“The panel finding as referred to by UFU makes no reference to timelines.”