Arsonist fears reignited with new blaze.

Arsonist fears reignited with new blaze. : "There are fears an arsonist responsible for a spate of fires in the Adelaide Hills has struck again."

You you see the fire from down here the other night if you were out watering. This afternoon, as I lunched with friends down south we could smell smoke again. They used to get the community involved in burn offs and tinder removal. I am not sure what has happened to that. We need to get the community involved so everyone has a job to do. Gold stars and plus points for people being so quick off the mark so that the fires could be put out before they took hold. It's been hot, dry , dusty...who lights these fires? Who would think to? When it was boiling and the north wind was blasting a hot furnace over us the other day, while the rest of us boiled and took shelter...who actually had the thought...oh, it's bloody hot out there today, I think I'll go and light a scrub fire. Seriously. Everyone else is thinking of swimming, lolling, drinking cold drinks with lots of ice cubes...no one actually wants to be out in it. Today, okay, there was a nice breeze, I guess you'd want to light a fire and watch it move along fanned by the cool winds?! Who has that thought? We were lunching. They were saying arsonists will get 20 years gaol and that they are thinking of a life sentence. When it comes to destruction of homes, property, animals, wildlife, people...then I guess it is murder. Social murder. I guess that equates with life. These people are mad...but they are not stupid. We rarely catch them so we are really going to have to lift our game. We catch murderers. An arsonist whose fires kill is a murderer. It just a different weapon. I am more concerned about us getting inside their heads and working out what on earth is going on in there. I heard at one time it was a sexual act. Who the hell goes out in blistering 40 degree heat with scorching winds which bite your skin and gets off on that? So, I am not so sure about that. We need to catch them. Technology, eyes, ears, co operation and a plan will help. We need to teach everyone to respect our environment and we are way past the namby pamby fires can cause danger stage. We are all responsible for fire fighting so we need to work out what the jobs are and respond to that. Everyone has a job.