24 people charged with sparking blazes in Australia
ByNatalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
ByNatalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The Australian government is trying to hold responsible those who had a hand in setting the destructive wildfires that have burned 25,000 square miles of the continent.
So far, about 183 people have had some sort of legal action taken against them in New South Wales, while 24 of them have been charged with lighting brush fires since November, ABC News reported.
Another 53 people are charged with not abiding by a burn ban and 47 people have been charged with discarding a lit cigarette, USA Today reported.
One of those accused of setting fires is a first responder. Blake Banner, 19, caught the eye of officials when he was one of the first at the scene of a fire. He was also seen in a vehicle just before a fire was reported in that area.
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Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, aerial photo, wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Glen Morey/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, image from video, smoke from wildfires covers Batehaven, near Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Josh Aldwell/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, photo provided by Twitter user @AvaTheHuman shows a sky red from wildfires burning, in Victoria, Australia. On Tuesday morning, 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. (Twitter @AvaTheHuman/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, a fire is extinguished behind a house in Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states have trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused at least two fatalities. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 9, Channel 7/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, an aerial view shows wildfires in the forests of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, Dec. 31, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states have trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused at least two fatalities. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7, Channel 9/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, officials block the Princes Highway as wildfires approach in South Coast, New South Wales, Australia, on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states have trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 9, Channel 7/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image dated Dec. 30, 2019, and provided by NSW Rural Fire Service via their Twitter account, firefighters are seen as they try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (Twitter @NSWRFS/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, an aerial scene shows fires burning in Bundoora, Victoria state, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia’s capital and other cities have been canceled as the wildfire danger worsens in the oppressive summer heat, and pressure was building for Sydney’s iconic celebrations to be similarly scrapped. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7, Channel 9/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, vehicles are parked during a road closure as smoke rises in the rear, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Brogo, New South Wales, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states have trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions, destroyed many properties and caused at least two fatalities. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 9, Channel 7/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, an aerial scene shows fires burning in Bundoora, Victoria state, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia’s capital and other cities have been canceled as the wildfire danger worsens in oppressive summer heat, and pressure was building for Sydney’s iconic celebrations to be similarly scrapped. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7, Channel 9/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, an aerial scene shows fires burning and smoke rising close to properties in Bundoora, Victoria state, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia’s capital and other cities have been canceled as the wildfire danger worsens in oppressive summer heat, and pressure was building for Sydney’s iconic celebrations to be similarly scrapped. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7, Channel 9/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this image made from video, an aerial scene shows destroyed homes and properties after a wildfire in East Grippsland, Victoria, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions and destroyed many properties. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 7, Channel 9/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations Kangaroos graze in a field as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that destroyed homes and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. (Mark Baker/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria, a helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria, a helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Robert Oerlemans/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Robert Oerlemans/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This satellite image released by the Copernicus Sentinel imagery, 2020 Twitter page dated Dec. 31, 2019, shows wildfires burning across Australia. (Copernicus Sentinel Imagery/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations A burnt-out residence is seen in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (James Ross/AAP Images/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations A skycrane drops water on a bushfire in scrub behind houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia’s capital and other cities have been canceled as the wildfire danger worsens in oppressive summer heat, and pressure was building for Sydney’s iconic celebrations to be similarly scrapped. (Ellen Smith/AAP Images/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, photo provided by State Government of Victoria shows wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria state, Australia. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday, Dec. 31, and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (State Government of Victoria/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations In this Dec. 30, 2019, photo, CFA firefighter is seen as a fire hit Clovemont Way in Bundoora outside Melbourne, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. Wildfires burning across Australia's two most-populous states trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions Tuesday and were feared to have destroyed many properties and caused fatalities. (Julian Smith/AAP Images/AP)
Deadly wildfires scorch Australia, prompt evacuations This satellite image released by the Copernicus Sentinel imagery, 2020 Twitter page dated Dec. 31, 2019, shows wildfires burning across South Australia. (Copernicus Sentinel Imagery/AP)
Banner faces charges in connection with seven fires set in October and November near Sydney.
If convicted of setting a brush fire intentionally and allowing it to spread can result in a sentence of up to 21 years behind bars, ABC News reported.
New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Worboys reminded the public that not all of the blazes were set by someone but because of how badly the land has burned since September, killing hundreds of millions of wildlife, there is a zero-tolerance when it comes to fire activity, USA Today reported.
So far, 24 people have been killed, 2,000 homes have been destroyed and an estimated 500 million animals have perished, CNN reported.
Australia wildfires Fires lit to to help control a larger fire burn near Burrill Lake, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Milder temperatures Sunday brought hope of a respite from wildfires that have ravaged three Australian states, destroying almost 2,000 homes. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) (Rick Rycroft/AP)
