Bushfire Arson

The Victorian Government allocated funding to Crime Stoppers Victoria in August 2010 to run a campaign over three years to encourage the public to report information relating to bushfire arson to the Crime Stoppers hotline 1800 333 000.

An awareness campaign will be developed based on research and statistics, and appear throughout Victoria over the summer period.

How You Can Be Affected

Victoria’s tragic Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 have made Victorians, and Australians, aware of the how devastating a bushfire can be. Apart from the immediate and obvious devastation, bushfires have a much larger and longer term impact than most people realise.

• Injury and loss of life
• Displacement and homelessness
• Destruction of homes, garages, schools, shopping centres, workplaces and other buildings
• Death or injury of much loved family pets and valuable farm animals and livestock
• Partial or complete loss of personal and household possessions
• Destruction of household gardens and valuable commercial food crops
• Destruction of natural habitat and the death or injury of native wildlife

How You Can Help – Report Bushfire Arson

If you believe a person, or vehicle, is behaving in a suspicious manner write down the details. If you record the details straight away the more accurate they are likely to be, and the more helpful the information will be to police.

Vehicle details such as the registration, make, model and colour, or a description of the individual you observed such as age, height, hair colour, build, facial hair and clothing.

Can you identify a person, or vehicle, you observed near the area where a bushfire occurred, or do you know of someone who has been lighting fires?

If so, you can confidentially call Crime Stoppers or file an online information report. Visit our section on Report Crime Information Here to find out what happens when you call the Crime Stoppers hotline and how to make an online report.

If you see something, say something – 1800 333 000

2012/13 Bushfire Arson Roadshow

Crime Stoppers Victoria will be running a Bushfire Arson Roadshow through regional Victoria in January 2013. Crime Stoppers CEO Samantha Hunter will be joined by local authorities and media to discuss how regional communities can stop arson. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

The Roadshow dates are:

Wednesday 9 January at 11am – Ballarat - Recreation Road, Mount Clear. Turn into Mount Clear College entrance road and park after 100 metres.

Thursday 10 January at 12 noon - Geelong - Johnstone Park, Railway Terrace, Geelong.

Friday 11 January – Warrnambool (10am) - Cannon Hill Lookout, Artillery Crescent, Warrnambool.

Tuesday 15 January at 12 noon – Bendigo - Rosalind Park, End of Williamson Street, Bendigo.

Tuesday 15 January at 4pm - Echuca - Hopwood Park, Watson Street, Echuca

Wednesday 16 January at 9am – Shepparton - Monash Reserve, Corner of Fryers and Welsford Street, Shepparton.

Wednesday 16 January at 12.30pm - Benalla - The park next to Benalla Police Station, Corner Bridge Street and Martin Place.

Wednesday 23 January at 12 noon - Traralgon - Victory Park, by Star Café and Larder, Peterkin Street, Traralgon.