Media Narrative Blown Apart as Aussie Authorities Count More Than 180 Arrests Related to Brush Fires Saeed Khan / AFP via Getty Images
A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers Dec. 31, 2019, in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales. (Saeed Khan / AFP via Getty Images)
By Andrew J. Sciascia
Published January 7, 2020 at 2:16pm
As devastating bushfires continue to burn into their third straight calendar month in Australia, officials seem to have zeroed in on one of the disaster’s prime movers: arsonists.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday that 183 people have been arrested and charged with fire-related offenses in the southeastern coastal state of New South Wales, where fires have claimed the lives of 18 people and destroyed nearly 1,500 homes.
Those arrested include 24 people accused of deliberately starting bushfires. “Unprecedented numbers of people had been arrested and charged with arson offenses,” Liberal Member of Parliament Craig Kelly reportedly said in an appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s “RN Breakfast.”
“The arson is not caused by climate change,” Kelly added.
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Poster Comment:
Australian police have arrested 183 people on fire related charges.