Disaster looms

By Bridget Brady
POLICE and the CFA have warned the potential consequences of car fires could be disastrous.
Casey’s Crime Investigation Unit is looking into a spate of incidents where cars have been set on fire in the Cranbourne area.
Crime Prevention Officer Leading Senior Constable Eddy MacDonald said the biggest worry about car fires was thepotential to create a larger fire and put the community at risk.
“My concern is much bigger than taking someone’s property and destroying it after Black Saturday and seeing the devastating affects and tragedies of fires,” Leading Sen Const MacDonald said.
“My advice is don’t take property that doesn’t belong to you and certainly don’t set light to it.”
CFA’s manager of community safetyfor the southern metropolitan region, Dave Baker, said the offenders who set fire to cars also placed themselves at huge risk.
“There’s quite a very real risk of explosion,” Mr Baker said.
Leading Sen Const MacDonald said the maximum penalty for theft of a motor vehicle was 10 years’ imprisonment and 15 years for criminal damage by fire.
If anyone has any information oncar fires, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.