How Murdoch press influences bush fire debate., page-7

The truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this season

Only about 1 per cent of the land burnt in NSW this bushfire season can be officially attributed to arson, and it is even less in Victoria, the ABC can reveal.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Inspector Ben Shepherd said earlier this week lightning was predominantly responsible for the bushfire crisis."I can confidently say the majority of the larger fires that we have been dealing with have been a result of fires coming out of remote areas as a result of dry lightning storms," he said.

In Victoria, where about 1.2 million hectares has burned, only 385 hectares — or 0.03 per cent — have been attributed to suspicious circumstances.

The Apple Isle is the only state where arson has allegedly been the overwhelming cause of fires.

Authorities attributed almost two-thirds of the blazes burning on Tasmania's east coast and in the south since late December to arson.

"Approximately 21,000 of the 35,000 hectares burnt is a result of deliberately lit fires," a Tasmanian Fire Service spokesperson said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/australias-fires-reveal-arson-not-a-major-cause/11855022