Police charge man for starting Australian wildfire

AUTHORITIES charged a man yesterday with lighting one of the wildfires that killed more than 180 people in Australia, and whisked him into protective custody to guard him from public fury.

Police said the suspect was charged with one count of arson causing death and intentionally lighting a wildfire near the town of Churchill that killed at least 21 people. It was one of hundreds of fires that raged through southeastern Victoria state on February 7, leaving 7,000 people homeless and razing entire towns.

The suspect also was charged with possessing child pornography.