A volunteer firefighter has been charged and suspended from duty, accused of lighting six fires on a Tasmanian island over two years.
The Flinders Island man has been charged with six counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation and will appear in the Whitemark Magistrates Court at a later date.
The charges relate to a series of fires in the Flinders Island area since December 2019.
The Tasmania Fire Service on Friday said it had suspended the volunteer firefighter from duty from the local fire brigade until the outcome of the court process.
"We appreciate this is a difficult and disappointing time for the Flinders Island community, the dedicated members of the Flinders Island Fire Brigade and our wider TFS community and we will provide every support possible to those affected," TFS chief officer Dermot Barry said in a statement.
"TFS is an organisation of more than 5000 dedicated volunteers and employees who represent a diverse cross section of our community and are committed to protecting life and property.
"It is not appropriate for us to comment further as the matter is before the courts."
