DFES says bushfire which came close to homes in Spalding on Sunday appears to be deliberately lit

Flames came close to homes in Spalding on Sunday afternoon from a bushfire authorities suspect was deliberately lit. Frustrated Spalding locals say they have been forced to contend with multiple blazes in nearby bushland this year, many of them started by arsonists. Firefighters managed to contain and control the blaze, which did not escalate into becoming a direct threat to lives or homes thanks to favourable wind conditions, but it did cause a lot of smoke in the area. The fire was started just before 1pm near the intersection of Green Street and Drew Street. Crews were patrolling the area and mopping up by 3pm. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services says the cause of the fire “is suspicious/deliberately lit”. Spalding locals Kayla Williams and Dakota Jones kept a close eye on the unfolding situation on Sunday, saying at one point “it doesn’t look pretty good” and didn’t want to stray too far home in case they had to evacuate. “It’s been getting bigger . . . we went back inside once the fireys got here, we thought that was it, they’d get it under control pretty quick but we came back outside and could still see flames over the back of the house,” Ms Williams said. “It’s pretty scary especially when it’s so close to homes. If that wind changes . . . any of these houses could go up.” Ms Williams said this was far from the first time she and her neighbours were put on edge by suspiciously lit fires. “It’s very frustrating too because we’ve had five or six (fires) this year that have started in this bushland and at least three or four of them we know for a fact were deliberately lit by kids being stupid,” she said. “The last one was at the end of our street and my partner he had to race up with the ute and try to help others with hoses and try and get it out because it was right at the edge of our cul-de-sac.” Geraldton detectives are investigating the suspicious blaze. People can report suspicious behaviour to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Rewards of up to $50,000 are available for information that leads to the identification and conviction of arsonists.