Updated 8:45am, Tuesday January 2: A man has been charged over a series of deliberately lit vegetation fires in Hobart bushland on New Year’s Day.
The 39-year-old is alleged to have lit multiple fires at Tolmans Hill near the Southern Outlet and Old Proctors Road intersection around 5:30pm on Monday.
Police say the man was located near the Ridgeway Reservoir later in the night and was taken into custody by officers.
He will appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court this morning to face charges of unlawfully set fire to property, destroy property and drive whilst exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit.
The fires were contained by the Tasmania Fire Service before any damage to property was caused.
8:40pm Monday, January 1: Police are investigating ’10 individual fires’ which broke out on Hobart’s Southern Outlet this afternoon, creating smoke plumes visible across Greater Hobart.
A TFS spokesperson said fires had ignited on both sides of the Southern Outlet near the Mt Nelson turn off around 6pm, with a significant number of crews racing to extinguish the blaze.
The fires had been contained by 8pm, with crews now patrolling the area.
Anyone with information in relation to the fires should contact Police.
