Suspiciously lit fires across Western Australia’s South West surged over the Christmas period, with new data showing the number of deliberate or questionable ignitions has tripled compared to the previous year.
According to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the region recorded 20 suspicious or deliberately lit fires in December 2025. That figure stood at just seven in December 2024. Statewide, DFES investigated 184 fires over the same period.
The spike comes during an already demanding bushfire season for the southern half of the state. Recent blazes have scorched large areas in Kalamunda, Boddington and Wellesley, adding pressure to exhausted crews. The Shire of Collie, about 200 kilometres south of Perth, has been hit hardest, recording the highest concentration of deliberately lit fires in the South West.
The latest incident occurred on January 16, when an emergency level bushfire broke out in Collie. DFES deployed crews from 10 volunteer brigades to support firefighters on the ground. Investigators later confirmed the blaze had been deliberately lit, making it the 18th such fire in the district since the start of this summer’s bushfire season.
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