Australian firefighter charged with arson

As thousands of firefighters worked frantically today to protect towns in south-east Australia from wild fires, one of their colleagues appeared in court charged with arson.

John Christopher Andersen, 18, a volunteer firefighter from Victoria state, appeared in a magistrates court on 14 charges of lighting 12 fires over the past six weeks in forest just 25 miles north of the state capital Melbourne.

Andersen, who was arrested close to a fire on Monday, was not required to enter a plea and will remain in custody until his next Melbourne court appearance on April 12.

One of the fires he allegedly lit razed about 74 acres of forest of Mount Disappointment, but did not threaten homes or property.

However, just 125 miles away in north-east Victoria and southern New South Wales, thousands of residents were under threat ahead of searing temperatures and high winds forecast for tomorrow.

Authorities fear blistering weather will whip three-week-old bush fires into raging infernos.