A 25 year old Wynyard man has been charged with Unlawfully Setting Fire to Vegetation as a result of a deliberately lit fire which occurred in scrubland alongside the railway bridge at Somerset yesterday afternoon, Sunday, 4 October 2015.

The fire was reported to police by a vigilant member of the public and the arrest occurred as a direct result of the call.  The fire was contained to a small area of scrubland and was fully extinguished by Tasmania Fire Service.  There was no damage to any buildings or structures.

The man appeared in an out of hour’s court yesterday evening and was remanded in custody.  He has reappeared in the Burnie Magistrates Court this morning via video link.

With the recent warm and dry weather conditions Tasmania is encountering, and likely to encounter in the coming months, Police are encouraging the public to be vigilant and report suspicious activity in areas susceptible to bush fires.

“If you see something, or you know something, then please say something and help catch bushfire arsonists before they strike,” said Senior Constable Snooks.

“However, please remember to never put yourselves or others at risk in order to obtain information,” he said.

If you have any information about deliberately lit bushfires, or about someone lighting fires, then please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.  In the case of an emergency call Triple Zero, 000.