Hunt for bushfire arsonists

By Tania Martin
POLICE are treating the fifth fire in three weeks in bushland near Sassafras as suspicious.
The fire, which started shortly after 11.45am on Thursday, 15 March in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, is believed to have been deliberately lit.
Fire crews were called to the latest fire at the intersection of Hilton Road and Mountain Highway.
It burnt 1.5 hectares of land before being contained by Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and CFA crews.
Twelve CFA tankers, two DSE tankers, nine DSE four-wheel drive vehicles, a bulldozer and two water bombing aircraft were used in an effort to contain the fire.
This latest fire comes just three weeks after four fires, which are believed to be deliberately lit, were started in the same area.
A DSE spokeswoman said this latest fire was lit within a 500-metre radius of two of the previous fires between Ferndale Road and Mountain Highway.
The first was reported on 10pm, on Thursday, 22 February on the top side of Mountain Highway, near Ferndale Road, and the second was reported the following day shortly after 2pm between Ferndale Road and Mountain Highway.
Police are now investigating the circumstance surround the series of fires in Sassafras as well as fires near Devils Elbow, on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road which date back to November last year.
It is not know if the Devils Elbow and the Sassafras fires are related but police are continuing their investigations.
Police are now calling for anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously around the site of Thursday’s fire to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.