Strike Force Vulcan officers working in partnership with Collie Police, have charged a man in relation to a bushfire that occurred in the Collie area on Friday, 16 January 2026.
It will be alleged about 6.50pm, the accused walked into bushland on Patstone Road near Rowlands Road where he set fire to vegetation before walking a short distance and setting fire to another area of vegetation.
About 7.10pm, Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) volunteers responded to the fire and were able to extinguish the fire before it reached a nearby residential area and the Western Power Collie Depot. The fire burnt approximately 30 hectares of native vegetation.
A 31-year-old man from Collie has been charged with ’Wilfully Light or Cause to be Lit a Fire Likely to Injure or Damage’. This offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
He is due to appear via video link in the Perth Magistrates Court today, 24 January 2026.
Timely information is vital in a fire investigation and Strike Force Vulcan officers ask the community to report anyone you see someone acting suspiciously around bushland, tracks, or firebreaks, or if you notice vehicles in areas where they would not usually be. Your information helps protect lives, property, and the region’s forests and farmland.
Anyone with information about suspicious bushfire activity should contact police on 131 444 or report it to Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
It will be alleged about 6.50pm, the accused walked into bushland on Patstone Road near Rowlands Road where he set fire to vegetation before walking a short distance and setting fire to another area of vegetation.
About 7.10pm, Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) volunteers responded to the fire and were able to extinguish the fire before it reached a nearby residential area and the Western Power Collie Depot. The fire burnt approximately 30 hectares of native vegetation.
A 31-year-old man from Collie has been charged with ’Wilfully Light or Cause to be Lit a Fire Likely to Injure or Damage’. This offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
He is due to appear via video link in the Perth Magistrates Court today, 24 January 2026.
Timely information is vital in a fire investigation and Strike Force Vulcan officers ask the community to report anyone you see someone acting suspiciously around bushland, tracks, or firebreaks, or if you notice vehicles in areas where they would not usually be. Your information helps protect lives, property, and the region’s forests and farmland.
Anyone with information about suspicious bushfire activity should contact police on 131 444 or report it to Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
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