Australia arson-charge suspect faces victims' anger

A man charged with deliberately starting one of the wildfires that killed a total of more than 180 people in Australia had to be taken into protective custody to guard him from angry victims today.

Police said the man, whose identity is being kept secret, faced 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 south-eastern Victoria last Saturday leaving 7,000 people homeless and razing entire towns.