A 23-year-old man has been arrested after a fire in Picton which burnt about 168 hectares of land and forced people to evacuate their homes.
Police and Department of Fire and Emergency Services officers were called to reports of a bushfire on South West Highway and Willinge Drive around 1.30pm on Saturday March 10.
Due to weather conditions the fire quickly spread which resulted in road closures, power outages as well as an Emergency Warning for people in the surrounding suburbs.
Also, a home on Bedwell Court in Glen Iris was badly damaged from the fire.
It will be alleged the man was smoking in bushland adjacent to Temple Road when he flicked his lit cigarette butt into scrub.
This started a small fire and the man attempted to extinguish the fire but it grew out of control.
The man allegedly ran to a nearby service station and reported the fire to emergency services.
The Picton man has been charged with Breach Duty of Care – Duty to a Person in Control of Ignition Source of Fire.
He is due to appear before the Bunbury Magistrates Court today, 12 March 2018.
Man charged over Picton bushfire
Brandon Ray Hall, 23, attended Bunbury Magistrates Court via custody on Monday morning.
Hall was charged with failing to ensure a fire/ignition source would not cause an uncontrollable fire.
He was also charged with disorderly behaviour in a police station/lock-up over an incident on March 11.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Greg Ward told the court they were concerned Hall may be erratic while on bail.
He said Hall had previously broken orders and bail conditions, and being placed into custody was a common occurrence for Hall.
Magistrate Evan Shackleton granted Hall bail conditions such as $5000 personal undertaking and $5000 surety.
Hall will be forced to reside at his mum’s Galloway Bend residence in Eaton between 7pm and 5am each day.
He was ordered to not intimidate or threaten his mother, to avoid alcohol and drugs, and to submit to WA Police for testing.
Hall will return to court on April 12.
Neither Hall or his mother said anything to the media outside of court.