Hefty fines for bin fire

BEHAVIOUR that may be dismissed as a prank could have much bigger implications for the community and perpetrators, according to police and CFA.
Healesville police are investigating incidents where wheelie bins were set alight behind the IGA supermarket at Coldstream last week.
A number of bins were set alight on Thursday night, 10 November, in two separate incidents, and again on Saturday night, 12 November when three bins were targeted.
Coldstream CFA Captain Sean Bethell said while the bins were not close to a building, they were close to paddocks which border the residential area and hundreds of houses.
“If this sort of thing continued into summer, it has the potential to cause considerable problems,” Captain Bethell said.
“Grass fires are very fast moving and can develop extremely quickly, compared to a scrub or bushfire, and they can cause a lot of damage,” he said.
“I would say that police would be taking this type of offence to the full length of the law, and if this happens during the fire danger period, there are quite hefty fines, and the prison sentences that are quite severe as well.”
Anyone who sees any suspicious behaviour should call triple-zero.