A 23-year-old Kelmscott man who allegedly impersonated a firefighter at a blaze in Hopeland earlier this month has been handed additional charges following a police investigation.
The man was initially charged after firefighters attending the Hopeland fire on January 8 allegedly witnessed him wearing a firefighter’s uniform.
When asked to identify himself he claimed to be a volunteer firefighter before leaving the scene in a non-emergency services vehicle, which had a dash-mounted emergency beacon.
The man was later identified as a probationary volunteer firefighter with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and did not have the authority to wear a firefighter uniform, attend fire grounds or act in any official capacity.
This week police alleged the accused, in possession of firefighting equipment, also used his personal vehicle fitted with emergency lights to breach a vehicle control point in Waroona on January 7.
During the investigation detectives search his home and seized a number of items, which have since been established as being items reported stolen during burglaries at the volunteer based Parkerville Bush Fire Brigade in December 2014.
The investigation into those burglaries is ongoing.
The cause of the Hopeland fire is not believed to be suspicious.
The man is now facing charges of two counts of impersonating a public officer, three counts of receiving and one count of unlawful possession.
He is due to appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on January 28.
