A Tasmanian woman who went on a bushfire-lighting spree that destroyed 56 hectares of commercial timber plantations has been ordered to pay almost half a million dollars in compensation.
Michelle Dawn Frankcombe, 55, forced emergency crews to battle multiple blazes across northern Tasmania in early 2023.
She pleaded guilty to nine counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation, with her fires stretching from Lower Beulah to Stoodley.
The Supreme Court heard her first blaze tore through timber plantations at different stages of growth, owned by forest management company Forico.
The fire burned for days and left all damaged timber unsalvageable.
Justice Tamara Jago described the $464,000 worth of destroyed plantations as showing “the extent of the fire associated with this charge” when sentencing Frankcombe to 15 months’ home detention.
The fires became more frequent through February and March, with Frankcombe lighting blazes on February 25, then on March 4, 5, 6, 10, 15, 23 and 24.
Most of the later fires burned only small patches – some as little as 30 square metres of grassland – but one spread across 300 square metres of bushland before firefighters contained it.
CCTV captured Frankcombe’s car near several fire locations, while forensic testing of matches found at one scene produced a positive DNA match.
When first questioned, she denied involvement and even tried to implicate her adult children. After repeated police interviews, she admitted to lighting some of the fires.
“You repeated this dangerous conduct, many times, over a number of weeks,” Justice Jago said.
“It is most fortunate that the main of the other fires did not get out of control, but of course it cannot be overlooked that many emergency personnel resources were engaged in ensuring that did not occur.”
The court heard Frankcombe’s fire-lighting began after confronting her father about childhood sexual abuse.
A forensic psychologist found she used the fires to release intense emotions linked to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.
Frankcombe must pay $464,000 compensation to Forico and serve her sentence under strict electronic monitoring conditions.
