Inside the mind of an arsonist: What motivates someone to start bushfires? | Australian Story

As the 10th anniversary of the Black Saturday fires approaches and the nation braces for another devastating bushfire season, Australian Story examines the fatal Churchill blaze and the investigation that led police to the enigmatic arsonist, Brendan Sokaluk.
Featuring never-before-seen police interview footage of Sokaluk, this episode asks what we can learn from the events of that day and how we can use this case to identify potential arsonists in the future.
Read more: www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-1...
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About Australian Story: Putting the "real" back into reality television, Australian Story is an award-winning documentary series with no narrator and no agendas - just authentic stories told entirely in people's own words. Take 30 minutes to immerse yourself in the life of an extraordinary Australian. They're sometimes high profile, sometimes controversial, but always compelling. It’s television guaranteed to make you think and feel. New episodes are available every Monday.

[@iamisaid2295]

only 1% of arsonists are actually detected? that is terrifying as a statistic.

[@yellowstone2ndtrumpet304]

Exactly…. 4.000 fires per week... 40% by arsonists and thats only in Australia...

[@wiffy3825]

It's funny how on the news they always say they caught the suspect who started the fire, paid actor so the public doesn't get influenced. the only reason this guy got caught was because he was autistic enough to admit to it without any real evidence against him.

[@dougohboy5190]

@@wiffy3825 ... a patsy like Martin Bryant....

[@dougohboy5190]

@C Hunter ,,, UN Agenda 21

[@dougohboy5190]

@C Hunter ...there is someone keeping and eye on those so called court cases, havent seen them yet....

[@karenm7449]

They need to be charged with pre-meditated murder or attempted murder if nobody perishes. There need to be very strong deterrents and a zero tolerance for what is one of the most destructive and barbaric crimes.

[@chemicalbrucey157]

They should be charged with the murder of all the wildlife they killed

[@Med1na2012]

JAY BEE charged with bird slaughter & aggravated buglary

[@MarkHenstridge]

@john johns Gee that must be true, you have made that statement twice and word for word! I guess you don't remember who the experts were or where you saw articles on social media, I would be very interested to read what they wrote.

[@jimimased1894]

@john johns what a muppet take a look at arsonists... do they look like "greenies" does this bloke look like one?

[@qcislander]

@@jimimased1894 ... what does a "greenie" look like?

[@marinaholmes4549]

Hmmmmm i get the feeling he knew right from wrong, regardless of his mental capacity.

[@jasminemadden4138]

was a firefighter

[@warrenholly2200]

He knows right from wrong

[@antoinettenovella1630]

@@jasminemadden4138 There have been quite a few incidences in Australia where the arsonist has either been a current Fire Fighter or previously one.

[@Ms_Tania]

@David DeVito Right!!?? He 'knew' help was needed to put it out,and went to help. During the police interview, he admitted to starting the fire but 'knew' it wasn't intentional. Cops even knew he was trying to pull a fast one on them.

[@leannelawlor5965]

Im not being bad but i do feel sorry for him he shouldnt of been on his own and i also belive he accidently set the fire and only one fire not the other

[@marianthipapastergiadis7744]

As a teenager I went to Kinglake to stay with a friends family for the weekend and i'll never forget the impact this had on the community, even 10 years after the event. It was like time had stoped, there were still burnt out cars and collapsed structures. Much of the conversation often turned to what everyone had lost and never recovered. Just devastating.

[@eoinociarain7986]

Same in Strathewen, it always comes up in conversation there. Especially at times like now.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Eat Cereal

[@HumanimalChannel]

I have no doubt that he had a difficult early life, trouble at school. Probably a lot of emotion pent up. However. He lit that fire. And i think he enjoyed the fire and has zero remorse.

[@beth-bi9yv]

This is nuts. He should have gotten a heavier sentence, not only did people die in a horrific manner but the effects on environment and the livelihoods of everyone in the area is absolutely devastating

[@lucinda9137]

I know what ASD is. Regardless of his understanding, he's a danger to society and should not be getting out of prison this decade. At the least, he needs to be contained in a facility that can cater to his needs. If psychotherapy can help him understand how dangerous arson is, maybe he can be released. How can you not understand how angry people are about this? These fires were devastating.

[@LB-uo7xy]

Let's not forget all the animals who were BURNT ALIVE FOR HOURS before they finally died.

[@LB-uo7xy]

​@@lucinda9137 Not to mention that it doesn't help his case that he does indeed look like the stereotypical white trailer trash arsonist. And, yeah, he should simply not be released.

[@tanyabrown9839]

"he was covered in feces, sometimes he was covered in spit, " often when his mother picked him up from the school bus.. it sounds like with the bullying and having a lower IQ he probably emotionally shut down and didn't care about others as one should. Schools really need to prevent bullying as the outcome is disturbed people. I was severely bullied in school myself and though I wouldnt do something like this it has made a lasting impact on me to the point that sometimes I feel like I hate humanity esp when someone is nasty.. and I'm almost 50 now. The affects of severe bullying do last, I have PTSD from bullying. I feel sorry for this arsonist that he was left so messed up, no-one who has not been through long term severe bullying as a child has no idea what this is like.

[@serverlan763]

I'm 50 myself and was terribly bullied at school. I can't do tasks with people watching me to this day because i have an inbuilt fear of being judged and ridiculed. Though I have a higher than average IQ I find it hard to learn anything in a classroom.

[@dindinprivate3477]

Very true.

[@parsizaban1]

There is an African tribal saying that says the child who is not treated well in the village, when grown up, will burn the village to the ground.

[@TheKnoxvicious]

Yeah, it's SOCIETY fault that he did this, not his fault at all -__- And before you bitch "I DIDN'T SAY IT WASN'T HIS FAULT!" That's what the damn proverb means. If you don't treat your fellow man kind, he will lash out. But what did society do to this asshole that made them deserve this shit? I don't care if you were bullied as a kid - people like this are the pieces of shit that's responsible for this and them alone.

[@equarg]

parsi zaban I believe they saying is, “If a child is not embraced by the community, they will later set it on fire to feel it’s warmth”. Something like that.

[@parsizaban1]

@@equarg yea something like that. Very wise though!

[@Micfri300]

@@TheKnoxvicious society pokes and pokes and then wonders jheez I wonder why that individual acted like that..

[@twelveytwelve]

The last guy to speak hit the nail firmly on the head.

[@bambilackner]

i wonder if these people who defend him would feel the same to someone killing their family members by arson.

[@mariamm7695]

john johns “social media and experts”. What a moron you are. Fb keyboard warriors who voted for the LNP selling our water to foreign interests and Experts like Murdoch media and Barnaby Joyce. The brainwashing runs deep on you doesn’t it.

[@paulharrisonadventuregearm5457]

If his background was people relentlessly bullying him, I'd forgive him

[@paulharrisonadventuregearm5457]

@David DeVito yes David. For someone to do what he did after being bullied, he must have in your words gone through hell. He experienced hell, then gave others hell. I would forgive because I know what bullying feels like and it's far reaching impacts

[@harrybowes9617]

Paul Harrison your a drop kick

[@bigbowlowrong4694]

As someone who has a sibling with very similar mental deficiencies to those identified in the arsonist, I can confidently say that yes, I would feel the same. You don’t know what it’s like to deal with this kind of mental illness unless you’ve experienced it. Our health and education system fails these people at every step of the way and then when one of them does something like this, we just turn a blind eye to that and want to string them up the nearest lamppost.

[@Tpoggi]

I feel so so sorry for all the people and animals that were lost in this terrible fire. So heartbreaking 😭

[@SapphirasMama]

Many arsonists work within the Rural Fire Brigade and are usually the first on the scene of a fire and they try to be the hero. It seems to be that they are addicted to feeling of power they get from first lighting the fires and than being first on scene. I know an arsonists who worked with the RFA and has set a few areas on fire, including close to the place of work which my brother was also working at the time. He set the bush on fire and than tried to leave the scene which is unheard of with RFA members in this situation. He was eventually found out, arrested and found guilty for lighting more than 1 fire. He is still currently in jail.

[@liamc1102]

Sometimes it stems from being abused as a child.

[@antoinettenovella1630]

I don't understand the mentality at all. I understand it of children who don't understand the consequences on people, animals and homes and innocently light fires out of curiosity but not of adults and certainly not that of those who have witnessed the decimation of people, animals, homes and nature in their role as a member of RFA. I believe they are afflicted by a personality disorder that incubates them from emotion. Narcissism, Psychopathy etc.

[@liamc1102]

@@antoinettenovella1630 Maybe do more research, it's not that hard to understand. I know when I was much younger I lit a car on fire. And when my parents tried to understand why i did it, the police or whoever they talked to said it normally stems from child abuse. And I was abused as a child.

[@SeanFarrar]

What a pathetic statement. “ any are within the Rural Fire Brigades” evidence shows this is very small. 1-2%…. Get your facts straight before you denigrate the reputation of many a volunteer who gives their time and energy to protect your communities.

[@SapphirasMama]

No not every firefighter is like this. I love the work that they do and have major respect for them. I alslow them to spend time with assistance/serviceo dog, so 1: my girl gets used to all the smells and gear they have to wear and use if aomething happens to me or aomeone else and 2. It gives them an opportunity to cuddle and decompress after a potentially difficult rescue or fire. I want to try to lower PTSD rates among first responders. But the very small group of fire fighters that are also arsonists are important to know and identify. In my orginial comment, I was talking about that very small group

[@mariahpayne5708]

I lost my home from this 'person' and no trying to paint him in a different light can ever make me forgive him. And for his little time he will be spending in prison is just pathetic. When my Dad was interviewed by news crews after Black Saturday he said he thinks he (Sokaluk) should be with the police and getting the bodies of those he killed.

[@mariahpayne5708]

@@deborahbaptiste6899 You're not seriously putting a God trick on me, are you?

[@mariahpayne5708]

@@deborahbaptiste6899 Ah sorry, I forgot that you went through the instance and the cascading effect of losing a home from this arsonist. You’re right, I should forgive him for destroying my home, for the loss of the neighbours around me, the complex mental health issues I received as a result of this, the items of value I had, etc…

[@mbear8832]

@@deborahbaptiste6899 You lack compassion. People are hurting over their losses. If you want to do something spiritual, why dont you just pray for healing, in silence.

[@mariahpayne5708]

@@deborahbaptiste6899 if you are not here to argue then why make a comment that is to argue something? I'm not here to live my life to forgive the person who cause significant trauma to me but just live my life with the actions he has done.

[@mbear8832]

@@deborahbaptiste6899 There is a time and place for everything. Sometimes silence is the better word, unless you think your comment has helped.

[@sagrammyfour]

The latter part of this film PREDICTED what would happen here in 2019, yet NO ONE DID ANYTHING. They just stood by and let it happen.

[@stevethea5250]

Who stood by? And first of all they should treat bullying in schools a serious crime

[@morzh1978]

"he was covered in feces, sometimes he was covered in spit" - what a wonderful community, especially their parenting skills! Quite unsurprising, though fascinating, outcome. A lot of bullied in such manner would be more than happy to burn their peers together with parents, who raised them, down, someday. You rip what you sow.

[@Komsomolskaya]

There’s no doubt, however, that many of those victims had no part in the horrid abuse that undermined whatever social conscience he once had. This is one terrible tragedy spanning over decades, climaxing but not ending, in this inferno.

[@Milly75]

I lived in Churchill on this day, still one of the most terrifying days of my life

[@arianagrandefanno1926]

I wasn’t born I was in my mums tummy...... Churchill......I can’t imagine

[@warrenholly2200]

Wow are you near the most recent fires?

[@thevoid7635]

What was it like?

[@Milly75]

@@thevoid7635 I have only see your message in 2022 and still that night in Churchill was one of my most hoffic night

[@Milly75]

I find now in 2022 alot of what I went though was not just my own panic but was bought on by the most horrible person, I am so glad he his locked up

[@nickbrennan3389]

Temperatures and droughts are going up...mental health problems among young men is going up...not good signs !!

[@TauCu]

@Merci // I don't think john was making an excuse.

[@zerevity007]

ok boomer

[@DigitalYojimbo]

Some people just want to see the world burn.

[@Micfri300]

Nope.

[@Micfri300]

How would an autistic person know that a cigarette burn would cause leaves to ignite that have oils within them that would then explode

[@account5003]

[@co-null5599]

@@Micfri300 some of us enjoy the sights and smells of fire

[@kwhite749]

Can't read or write, is disabled and can still drive a vehicle and lay bets at the TAB.... but can't distinguish between right and wrong.

[@eoinociarain7986]

That is Autism, parts of the brain function normally and other parts dont. Some are really high functioning and very intelligent yet simple situations can have them curling up into a fetal position. Not making any excuses for doing wrong but just stating that its not cut and dry. Martin Bryant was diagnosed with Aspergers as a young kid and therefore on the Autism spectrum and look at what he was capable of. Both grew up in country environments and both were bullied growing up, maybe didn't have the ability to process that bullying and over time that contributed to that very negative mindset. Thinks aren't as simple as what you posted.

[@PBMS123]

Yes, that is what a lot of cognitive disorders like autism are. You don't need to read or write, to be able to drive, and a lot of the time they don't understand the social aspects of life, or non direct cause and effect.

[@mrdojob]

A very cognitively impaired human caused this much damage and practically blotted the sun out of the sky. Humans really are an unusual animal. People like this really puts into perspective how destructive even a dim witted human can be compared to other animals.

[@meeeka]

Kātē Māriē yup. that's an australian conundrum one encounters daily.

[@meeeka]

PBMS123 sorry, to pass a driving test, one has to be able to read. to be able to hold even simple, basic jobs, one has to fill in forms. one has to be able to sign one's name at the bank to get an ATM card and have basic numeracy to use that machine.

[@trimvim]

Did any of his school peers ever reconsider their school yard behavior? As the last interviewee says: "Why" Why indeed is an important question. There is a typical profile of intense school yard bullying leading to antisocial behaviour here. Sure "no excuse" is the response, however can anyone be sure that intense schoolyard abuse wouldn't have caused the same result in themselves? School yard abuse was traumatic for me. I don't know if a little more abuse would have produced a similar outcome in me. This is possibly a bad case of CPTSD and a tragic outcome for all. "Why" is very important.

[@comeatmebro3229]

@@MatthewBreithaupt there are "useful idiots" who get warped by social media yes, but there are also those who are bullied and harassed at school and the traumatic effect it can have on the mind is huge, its like animal cruelty there are strong links between kids who get bullied heavily at school and the likelihood they will be abusive towards animals, the same can be said with domestic violence and there are the same connections with arson as well. its like school shooters in the US, the vast majority of them are kids who have been bullied, looked down on, pushed around and harassed physically and mentally, bullying can twist someones mind it can make them feel alone and it can make them not care about other people, is this entirely the fault of the person who was bullied or are the bullies also at fault? i say the bullies are also at fault, he could have been messed up from the beginning and have started it anyway but it all could have been prevented, maybe if he had a couple friends or maybe if the bullying was stopped then this might not have happened so those who bullied him must also take blame for what happened.

[@LoneWolf-ki5ee]

we should have the death penalty brought back NO MORE SOFT TOUCH

[@kirmutsalter5770]

Bring back the gallows

[@juliehoagland2023]

Trying to stomach what they have done to the animal population recently ... I can’t even wrap my mind around one person doing that much damage but 24 are now suspects! These people shouldn’t be allowed to waste anymore oxygen

[@jazzzmonee]

Agreed

[@juanitarichards1074]

Even children know lighting fires is wrong. They know more about fairness and morality than many adults do - it's instinctual. Most people with autistic disorders are not violent and destructive.

[@MrTripleXXX]

These messed up people probably know what good morals are, they just don't care. There sadly are people like this in our world.

[@popazz1]

Many, many individuals function perfectly well whilst having a diagnosis of autism or aspergers. The fact that we refer to 'being on the spectrum' indicates that both conditions have varying levels of severity. It's not mentioned here just how severe Sokaluk's autism is, but it does seem he isn't so 'far gone' that he can't understand what he did and what the consequences are. Also, one of the contributors to this documentary stated that Sokaluk knew how to play the system in order to receive all the disability benefits. Surely, then, he isn't so far along the autism spectrum that he's 'blissfully unaware'. If he knew how to play the system then, in my opinion, he knew right from wrong. I would have thought that the culture in Australia is to ensure that everyone knows about fire safety, particularly during 'dry season' in the same way that Australians are taught from an early age about protection from the damaging UV rays of the sun. Aren't both ingrained in the Australian psyche?!

[@antoinettenovella1630]

JPD, he played the system to the hilt but not consistently. I have worked with many Autistic and Asperger afflicted people in the past and they were of varying functioning levels. No dishonesty. Affection showed. Aggression showed. Never incongruity to authenticity. They were completely themselves at all times. JPD was a psychopath. Not sure if he was in cahoots with his father or not. He is locked away now, he needs to be watched when he is released.

[@robspunk]

Australian Story is so good, well done ABC

[@tormon506]

Excellent quality of reporting. From all sides. This is rare.

[@alexlittle6255]

this is still very tragic to watch... my condolences go out to everybody who was affected in this horrible time

[@justawheeliebin3512]

I lost my house to a bushfire in February 2021 and if I ever catch an arsonist I will do very unpleasant things to that person.

[@Tinkers484]

Shirley is a saint. I am not sure I would be able to forgive if I were in her position

[@antoinettenovella1630]

She is. They say to forgive is good for the soul and for the heart. I hope that is true because she is a beautiful person and many of us are petty and small minded in comparison.

[@bilindalaw-morley161]

Around 15:00 he’s not even a consistent actor, let alone a good one. One second, coherent, complex sentences, then next second “Der, I dunno. Der, I’m dumb”

[@mim0381]

Yeah when he said that it was never his intention for any of this to happen, thats not someone with an intellectual disability

[@antoinettenovella1630]

I think he shows symptoms of psychopathy more-so than autism. Have had extensive experience with those who have autism and/or on the spectrum and have never met one that presented such contradictions in character. The writer explains that being hapless versus cunning is not a rare manifestation in someone who has autism and lower functioning cognition. This seems completely incongruent with my experience. Yes there are exceptions but I don't think he is one of them. Certainly not to this extreme.

[@JMastura]

@@antoinettenovella1630 True, he seems to be trying to manipulate the police into believing he has autism or some sort of mental condition. He was just a sad loser trying to get back at his hometown for all the horror he went through growing up.

[@Nat-ys8hn]

People with disabilities commit all sorts of offences ( only a small percentage) but this doesn't excuse the damage done in this case. He should have got life because when he gets out, he will continue to be a risk to any community he lives in. All these people making up fake narratives of the story need to quit. The situations simple: he likes to start fires and fits the diagnosis as an arsonist.

[@SirDankleberry]

@Wayne Haile No one cares boomer.

[@Ocea8i53]

With the current fires happening in in au, this is too real

[@trapd00rspider]

@MianKami everyone gets that most fires are started by people either accidentally or deliberately. Climate change comes in when it affects the conditions to make fires worse than they'd otherwise be, harder to control, and with less days of the year suitable for hazard reduction burns. RFS and CFA have explained this multiple times but people like you ignore them so you can spread misinformation.

[@PS-Straya_M8]

Living in SA I am really worried about this year. Hopefully no deliberately lit fires this summer or it will be the end!!

[@winterlock1576]

Welp, sorry to break it to you, but 2020 is here, and half the country is on fire. Already saw one report of a fire fighter in his early 20's fighting a fire, then afterwards, lighting another one so he can go put it out. Similar mindset to this guy, if you ask me. He also got caught, of course. Also, I'm in SA as well~ Barossa, so we got a little of the Cuddlee Creek fire as well.

[@lorrainebrown7210]

This is a clear case what bullies can do to a person just like those that kill with guns..STOP BULLIES.

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

They won't listen. They're bullies because they're _stupid._ Just read the top-rated comments in this thread about how he should be shot in the head or burned alive. They'll keep making life horrific for their victims, and their victims will go right on lighting fires and shooting up highschools. And the world goes 'round and 'round.

[@RobertUppenhiemer]

Being Bullied is not an excuse to do the same or worse to others

[@RobertUppenhiemer]

Blaming others for your problems gets you nowhere . Don't blame your stupid actions on others because you and you alone are responsible for your actions

[@kambrose1549]

He was devious and worked at playing dumb to obstruct the investigation. He showed no remorse at all. He should have been taken at his word and put into a psychiatric unit for life.

[@kristyburgess9847]

During the 2013 Tasman peninsula fires my friends and I were stuck in Highcroft where we live because obviously the roads were reserved for the firefighters. We had lightning in our street and the fire just missed Highcroft. I was living alone and there was no running water so I went to my friends house with my fur baby and my emergency bag on my back! It was an experience that I really don't want to repeat! Thanks firefighters for your help!

[@ursus9104]

The three factors for a fire to occur, heat, combustible material and oxygen. In this story the combustion material was the human bodies. The disco fire in Gothenburg (also called Backabranden) was a fire that occurred the night between Thursday the 29th and Friday the 30th of October 1998. 63 people died and 214 were injured. The fire broke out in a room at Backaplan on Hisingen in Gothenburg, where a disco had been arranged. Approximately 375 young people aged 12-25 were in the room, which was approved for 150 people according to current regulations. Four young people were convicted in the district court in 2000 for setting the fire. As a reason for doing so, they stated that one of them had been denied free admission to the party and therefore wanted revenge.

[@q-_-p.d-_-b]

A bullied person lashing back at society. Hmm.. where have we heard that before.

[@eoinociarain7986]

I think you will find a lot of people who have committed crimes and are in jail have certain neurological disorders like Autism, Aspergers and ADHD. I have ADHD and knew I was wired differently when I was growing up but managed to fit into society reasonably normally. Finished Year 11, Played Football and Cricket, but I had a very supporting family. Not everyone is that lucky. I reckon I have had 200 jobs because I could never settle and have worked for myself for the last 10 years as its hard to sack yourself or quit. Point I am making in my longwinded ADHD way is that people with impaired neurology who dont get support growing up can go off the rails and in some situations its catastrophic. I am not excusing their actions, far from it but just making the point that nothing is that simple.

[@yellowstone2ndtrumpet304]

He had no revenge…

[@juanitarichards1074]

Who hasn't been bullied and abused, often for years and years on end. We still don't take it out on innocent people. Thats for weak kneed cowards.

[@q-_-p.d-_-b]

@@juanitarichards1074 Well, with that kind of attitude, I'm afraid "you reap what you sow." You have to be aware that not everyone is strong. There are weak people out there. You simply can't just tell them to bottle up all their inequities. Because eventually, some of these peoples bottles will get full and break. Then the unjust will dish out more injustices. And the cycle continues. We need to break the cycle. Don't just turn the other cheek... love thy neighbor.

[@juanitarichards1074]

@@q-_-p.d-_-b I left my abusive family at age 14 and went to work and paid rent. Don't lecture me about tough times.

[@tothelighthouse9843]

The video is titled "Inside the mind of an arsonist: What motivates someone to start bushfires?" but the video doesn't tackle that question at all. Very cursory comments at the end about how "we need to understand why" and a couple of hesitant guesses as to "Maybe he was motivated by..."

[@lac8356]

Black Saturday is etched in my mind., I saw the fire front reach the valley near my parent's homestead I was defending for them. I had time to let the horses out from the nearby farm before leaving myself. I kept to the back roads because I knew cars on the highway would be trapped by fires, The fire missed my family home that sadly was looted before I had time to return with my parents. I cannot fathom the mind of an arsonist let alone the mind of someone who loots.

[@justinm2697]

Why are re-uploading content? But to repeat the comment I made about 12 hours ago..... Stop blaming 'being bullied' for this man's deadly actions. Most kids are bullied, they don't turn out to be arsonists.

[@rockydennis2662]

I just wet my bed.

[@rockydennis2662]

That Rat In A Hat what do you do to deal with your pain Hurt Boy?

[@foofy3406]

Justin M, so true. 99% of us were bullied.

[@justinm2697]

@Adam Scott So people that were bullied get a pass? OK then. You know that females can be bullies too right? In fact I would argue that they are worse.

[@eoinociarain7986]

The perfect storm of bullying, neurological disorder, family life at home, just not fitting in and not understanding why their life is so shit. Who knows what provokes people to do shit acts? Bullying on its own wouldn't have caused this.

[@barbar500]

So at the end of it all, I didnt really understand why 40% of bushfires are intenzional.. I don't think he"s a "typical" case..

[@njosborne6152]

Just strip them down and let the outback have them.

[@obs4281]

Strip them down and let their own fires have them

[@dougohboy5190]

dude these are deliberate by government to push the UN's Agenda 21...

[@garycard1456]

@@dougohboy5190 Some might say you are a conspiracy nut, but the same thought has occurred to me. After all, our governments are infiltrated by sociopathic globalistj00s. Taking advantage of the natural dry season for maximum devastation. I wonder if the same applies for the fires in the Amazon. Fires are a natural part of the landscape in semi arid areas. Indeed, some plants have evolved around fire and can only germinate or spread their seed after a fire event. However, the widespread massive fires of recent times appear to be suspiciously facilitated by non-natural events. Namely, deliberate fire setting. Are all the non-natural (in other words: deliberately started) fires started by lone fruitcakes, oddballs, outcasts and sociopaths, or is there a globalist agenda at play?

[@dougohboy5190]

@@garycard1456 they want the people off the land , they have sold a lot of land and water rights to China , they have been water harvesting especially out at Cubby station for the cotton farms, down south its the almond farms both crops are foreign owned and are high water yield crops, there are 43 thousand frack welds in aust and each well requires 1.5 to 16 million gallons of water to operate. They have built two dams with tax payer moneys then they privatised them.. they have also been using geoengineering technologys to restrict the rainfall patterns coming in from the west... Now if you look at Section 100 of our Commonwealth Constitution 1901.. The Commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade or commerce, abridge the right of a State or of the residents therein to the reasonable use of the waters of rivers for conservation or irrigation... This is deliberate .. The so called government is also a registered corporation in Delaware on the USSSEC and has separated themselves from the Commonwealth scomo is the CEO of that company... Its also noted the RFS has been slowly been defunded over the last 20 years along with the Greens party banning the use of back burning...for the last five years building up the fuel loads along with the saturation of the oxide particulates from the geoengineering which has been going on since the 90ty's.. as for the UN agenda its done through UNIDROIT treaty throught Vatican 1972 its an intergovernmental committee in the Attorney General's Department.ACT 2600....and there was never a referendum and our 1688 bill of rights strickly forbids it....so there is your foreign interference...

[@garycard1456]

@@dougohboy5190 The so-called greens banning backburning? Well, that has resulted in an accumulation of bone-dry tinder rich in flammable oils from eucalyptus/gum trees. Bacteria and fungi can't breakdown the tinder rapidly, as the essential oils have antimicrobial properties. Hence, the accumulation of highly flammable tinder waiting for an ignition source. Don't the 'greens' know that management of the semi-arid Australian 'bush' landscape has a very long history of back-burning (i.e. landscape management by CONTROLLED fires) carried out by Aborigines for donkey's years? The native Australian flora (notably Eucalypts and other Myrtaceae) has evolved to use fire as a means of regeneration. Many species can't germinate or spread seed unless the vegetation has been cleared by fire; the charcoal and potash left over acting as a fertiliser. Naturally, lightning would be the source of bushfires. Regarding the selling of land to the Chinese....that would not surprise me. See the video: "Fijians Fight to Save Their Land' by JourneymanPictures. The video gives you a glimpse of the Chinese mindset!

[@tatonkatatonka]

Just wondering if he started any of the fires That are burning now They say a lot have been started by a person

[@james-ns4qt]

wow what a hero keeping aussies criminal history alive so proud to be from the lucky country

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@zanedavid1]

There was a time when arsonist were shot.....when found....on the spot....no mercy. Which is WRONG - so very wrong............they should be burnt at the stake.

[@Emerald1dx3]

Absolutely.

[@725k9]

When was this time??

[@zanedavid1]

@@725k9:Any time prior to 1900...and in a couple cases - 3 Nov 1972 and 23 Jan 2003 .

[@jazzzmonee]

David Boyer Agreed

[@vsiegel]

I'm wondering how often we have to see this pattern of severe bullying and a large event of violence later, before we conclude that bullying should be a tiny bit more illegal than, say, stealing a chewing gum? Am I missing something, or have I seen this pattern before, like in a school shooting or so?

[@chadgilmore5046]

The guy who started the black Saturday fires was bullied at School but I couldn’t give a shit what he did was unforgivable 173 people died in that fire and he only got 14 years jail...

[@vsiegel]

That's the point, you don't give a shit, and someone could outright hate him. It's completely irrelevant. It is about preventing that people die. We see a correlation, in the mathematical sense. Bullying and dying often happens related to the same person. The bullying happens before the killing, so we can assume that more bullying leads to more dying. That's all we need to think about if we want to see less people killed.

[@Artman1]

Yep, bullying should be a crime with prison time.

[@vsiegel]

That causes a practical problem, though. It does not really help with minor instances, which are hard to prove. And it is just not practicable in many cases. I actually agree that severe or prolonged bullying should be a crime. But practically, it would make a huge difference if it would be illegal in any formal way whatsoever.

[@Artman1]

Paedophilia can be hard to prove as well but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have laws against it or prison time. The consequences can be very similar.

[@iansteel6403]

You're not going to be able to stop lone wolves like this, sane or otherwise. Broken men are a larger problem and while eliminating what causes them is a priority, you have to assume that arsons will simply commit arson, without fail. If so, you need to make the landscape wildfire resistant. That means culling Eucalyptus trees that are touching crowns (while a native, they also pose the dual threat of sucking up all the water from the neighboring plants, so the neighbors shouldn't even have crowns that touch it), creating permanent fire lines via berms or swales on contour, utilizing grazing animals (sadly the herd animals you would want are not endemic), creating drought-resistant strands of forests, feeding the landscape with adequate water management in the form of sequestered water and feeding tributaries all fed from springs or the natural watershed, raising the water table through restorative agriculture to create a more moist microclimate (I understand you have the highest UV radiation levels on the planet but conventional wisdom can only help), conducting more lumber reclamation via dead stands of fuel and downed salvageable logs, burning any additional brush in piles, and as a last resort, prescribed burns of entire areas to compartmentalize the vulnerable zones thus that the fire cannot spread from cell to cell (this is the same method we use in fire suppression in modern building code). All of these preventative measures are things done BEFORE a fire even occurs, so they're simply passive protection once properly implemented, and not a finger needs to be lifted during the actual crisis itself to yield these results.

[@MrLunithy]

The courts in this country are so out of touch it is really disturbing.

[@justinm2697]

How so?

[@MrLunithy]

@@justinm2697 Did you watch the video? if the courts worked he would should not have been asking why he wasn't going home? I'm not arguing what he did and the severity of his crime but if an individual is not mentally capable of understanding this everything that has transpired to his conviction is flawed.

[@justinm2697]

@@MrLunithy Yes I have watched it. He was charged, convicted and sentenced. There is not enough information in this video for even a scratch-the-surface look into the court proceedings.

[@MrLunithy]

@@justinm2697 He didn't get it..... that's all anyone needs..... especially the victims family's and all the people that put there lives on the line to fight the fires. I caught an arsonist when I was a kid and when I did everyone thought it was me ..... when I finally got to say what I'd seen it was one of the fire fighters sons he was found with burnt hands this was in Darwin 1982.

[@justinm2697]

@@MrLunithy Claiming one 'didn't get it' does not an innocent person make.

[@mjshaheed]

Please enable automatic closed captions!

[@ABCNewsIndepth]

Please note the closed captions are now added - we are catching up on previous episodes. Thank you - Aust Story

[@tamfuwing1]

The comment section is as always full of people incredibly well versed in psychiatry, law, autism, criminal investigation, interrogation techniques... the list goes on.

[@Spyplane2005]

So he'll be out in time for all the forest to regrow and start another fire. Great

[@debk3901]

A guy I went to school with (12 years old) asked friends of mine if they wanted to watch him start a fire. My friends begged him not to start the fire but he did anyway. He then quickly tried to put the fire out but a wind whipped up, resulting in the fire growing so fast that they all had to hightail it out of the area. The good news is the fire brigade turned up and quickly put the fire out. Point is the stupid boy really believed he could control the fire and completely freaked out when he couldn't contain it. There needs to be more education programs in schools about the danger of playing with fire (this is even more applicable for individuals like Brendan) who was assessed by an expert as having Autism (ASD) and an intellectual disability that went undetected for years. Most children with Autism are not deliberately malicious instead they are totally naive and somewhat innocent. Children with Autism need special intervention to teach them action/consequence because what is common sense to a normal mentally stable child is not necessarily the case for a child suffering from ASD. In fact Brendan's peers, tortured him psychologically and ostracized him throughout his childhood, while the broader community failed to intervene or offer assistance in the form of medical, psychological, social or educational support, which made all of their actions / responses morally and professionally inept. To those that are so ignorant as to say lock people like him away and throw away the key because they will never get any better? Seriously !!! "You know. Grab your torch and pitchforks. ~ Shrek" . In the 1950s it was estimated that 1 in 25,000 children were diagnosed with Autism. Today the stats are closer to 1 in 27. Maybe we should be focusing on the trigger for the new Autism epidemic? Finally, my heart goes out to all individuals that were caught up in this horrific tragedy

[@christ347]

Autism is by design. The skyrocketing rates are completely unnatural.

[@debk3901]

@@christ347 The prevalence ratio is about 4 males for every 1 female diagnosed. Makes the individual less capable of thinking clearly and strategically, so there might be some validity in your thoughts because fundamentally guys were and still are societies main defenders. The increase really started to spike in the 70's so could be related to toxins, an increase in plastic use, diet or electronics ?

[@foofy3406]

i agree with pete townsend

[@RHGM71]

I understand none of his tormentors from childhood expressed much regret?

[@simonpepper9721]

Often,society creates it's own monsters.

[@hannesmonaghan8905]

Crypt being bullied has contributed to form who the criminal is today. Strange that you’re glad that he turned out to be an arsonist.

[@antoinettenovella1630]

I don't think they remember. From what I witness frequently, bullies frequently don't remember who they tormented. I was bullied prevalently for 3 years in diabolical and humiliating ways and five years later was approached by one of them who attempted to make friendly conversation with me. I asked him if he knew who I was and he said 'No, I figured you are new in the region and wanted to help you acclimatise and meet new people'. I had become a little older but have not altered in appearance in any other way. There was no recognition. I declined and walked away.

[@qcislander]

"The only way we can stop the Brendans of this world from continuing to light is fires bring them in for intervention and treatment." Agreed... but that intervention and treatment has to begin before age six, or it won't mean a damned thing. PARENTS are the first line of defense, and it's a vanishingly rare parent who's willing to rat out their own 4yo child, let alone ensure that 4yo child gets every bit of the help (s)he needs for the next 10-15 years.

[@Meipmeep]

My son started his violent attacks at 4. It took until 12 to get his autism diagnosis. In the meantime I was going to classes for continuing education to help him with emotional regulation and made sure everyone around him was safe. Even I as a responsible parent for a kid who was violent will say that not many parents have the resolve to keep with their abusive relationship to save a child from themselves. My son is now 18 and he’s no longer violent but it took me 100% dedication to his needs to the detriment of my own health. Arson starts young and the parents have no excuses to ignore the signs.

[@PhunkBustA]

28:11 thats the catch 22, you dont know theres a problem until they have already lit the match

[@elrondhubbard7059]

I imagine it isn't a 0 to 100 thing with arsonists. They probably work up to it, so it's the job of police, and more specifically, forensic psychologists, to red-flag behaviour like this. I know you can't arrest someone for potentially _becoming_ an arsonist, but maybe the cops could just keep tabs on someone who's a risk.

[@nopretribrapture2318]

They should have regular community service or prison inmates to pump water on dry brush make prisoners do use full things to help prevent trash like arsonists getting the upper hand,water surrounding and clear also nearby dried vegetation, water your fences,decking etc when its really dry, even your roof to help deter embers etc

[@tessarix]

All this, the big fire, and now Corona virus. Big love to the good Aussie people from Tucson, Arizona, USA. Crikey, I need to go watch something lovely now...

[@meyou9655]

I don't think he intended to kill anyone. But he did.

[@lesliewolfe7643]

The people standing there filming this fire as it rapidly approaches them are a different breed. I would be way too scared to do anything but run.

[@trippybruh1592]

Pretty ironic this is being recommended now despite the fact that 183 or something arsonist have been arrested since November of last year in AUS.

[@okzoomer5728]

I'm usually against the death penalty but I think it should be brought back in cases of wildfire arson where people get killed. It's mass murder produces untold environmental destruction and ruins lives.

[@somnvm37]

"he will be out in 4 years" its been 4 years since this video was released

[@cdd4248]

"She and Bill grabbed their dogs and very little else" YES! Animals First Always!

[@getyaboogieon]

That's the tinder box of a country we live in. All it takes is one lit piece of paper out a car window on a windy day to wreak havoc and destroy lives.

[@WestAussieTrainz]

What should they call the Current 2019/2020 mega blaze bushfires in Australia most of which are in NSW Black Saturday and this 2019/2020 fire season shows that the government needs invest better into firefighters and resources for them but what do I know im only a teenager

[@Mrsuperdestroyer]

27:46 The guy even said it was going to get much worse the coming years so you are right about that lol. Everyone knew this and the government still defunded the firefighters more and more each year for profit.

[@eoinociarain7986]

@@Mrsuperdestroyer Libs save, Labor spends. We need to find the middle ground but no political parties will do that. And yet is is so obvious, it seems things are better if you divide the minds and hearts of the people. Divide and conquer.

[@bischnou]

Very sad story😢. 💔 for all those affected.

[@_._._._._._._._._._._._._.____]

This guy is a real life Kaiser Soze.

[@garymichael8591]

Open the comment section on all of the ABC videos we pay you,freedom of speech.

[@randymarsh9089]

👌 well said

[@garymichael8591]

@𒁲🅹🅰🆈🅵🅰𒁲 ✓ • 5 years ago pigs arse a billion dollars a year goes to the ABC most journalists are earning 200k a year for the dribble we have to listen to.

[@romy4858]

And sadly... look where we are now.. 5.1.2020.

[@seanbaskett5506]

I'm willing to be there are a bunch of Churchillians that are gonna be waiting for Sokaluk on the courthouse lawn if he is ever released. Rightly so.

[@TimWhiteRailProductions]

I use to have issues setting fires when I was a teenager many years ago and then I got mental health treatment and fire never excited me again. Fire is not a toy it was meant for it purposes of candles cigarettes camp fires buts that’s it. It shouldn’t be used to damage peoples homes or anything that’s foul and a crime and people who does that should be punished to the highest extent of the law there is now and days.

[@aaa-tm6sf]

if you want to pay with fire so much put it on yourself

[@dinkum83]

He’ll have a tougher life outside then inside!

[@Mrshale555]

I am curious as to the flash of light in the top left hand corner at 5:34 if anyone has any ideas?

[@AnandaAlex]

Mrshale555 Good spotting! . It’s very dry everywhere. Lightning would be very unlikely as an answer... Some folks say they saw few fire circles in the paddock and burning in the opposite direction of the wind. 😔

[@harryballs6652]

@@AnandaAlex ever heard of heat lightning? i saw some a few weeks ago when the temperature was in the 40s for like 3 days.

[@AnandaAlex]

@Harry Balls Yes, you are right I’ve learnt later that lightning can be generated by the fires and it’s capable of creating its own weather, hence fire tornadoes etc. Some lightnings def contributed to some of the over 1000 fires. Which area you were in? Must have looked horrific. Thanks

[@123machet]

pyrocumulonimbus clouds... dry lightning.

[@andyg256]

I reckon it`s just powerlines arcing.

[@AzaIndustries]

Don't name them or give them amy facetime, they shouldn't get any recognition for what they do.

[@HospitalForSouls.X]

You don't set the fire...the fire sets you.

[@Milly75]

I just hope he Is locked up forever, Brendan I just can't even speak his name, I still with the Churchill Fires have extreme PTSD 💔

[@paulcollins629]

I know in America if he started a fire and it was federal land and death happened because of an arsonist he would most likely get the death penalty

[@kaitlinnbarcellona5667]

With the whole Australia being on fire this hits way to hard This predicted it

[@captain_america7577]

Don’t you mean inside the mind of Norman Price

[@tomsawyer2338]

I’d not forgive him, and he should be in prison for life.

[@PS-Straya_M8]

World please say a prayer for Australia right now .... worst fire conditions we have ever seen !! :(

[@gui2140]

Lol everybody saying its not His fault hes 5 years old in his head , yet he drives and smokes cigaret . Lol...

[@Ms_Tania]

I agree and understand that Brendan got a prison sentence...but what (if any) HELP is he getting? That's the real problem, if he isn't getting any.

[@jusomebody3069]

Why interview his defence Barrister. Don't you think she is slightly bias? sorta like interviewing the prosecution and being surprised they think he's guilty. Like how the guy can't speak about fires without mentioning climate change, even though he is not a climatologist or a fire fighter and that isn't why we are watching him speak he feels the need to remind us.

[@chrisdorrington9209]

The Arsonist, by Chloe Hooper is worth a listen

[@Casey1]

When you realise the fires happening right now are actually worse, hope nothing happens too me during this fire season :(

[@0987654321mnbvcxzmor]

People backburning to prevent a bushfire are arsonist and in some cases they have caused much destruction are they guilty ,the only difference is intent and that was not provable in this case.

[@CutieDee093]

I have such a huge problem with this video it really touches on a lot of problems with our society and how we as such are handling out population on the spectrum. It's terrible that this man was bullied, but does the fact that he was tormented excuse him of damaging our planet multiple times and causing the death of innocent bystanders? Absolutely not. People who have been deemed a menace to society whether they be on the spectrum or previously bullied should have some kind of 24/7 monitoring and if that menace actually causes a disturbance such as this they should both be charged. The menace for the actual act and the surveyor for negligence. My second problem with this video is that it portrays people on the spectrum as being primary suspects of performing a heinous act such as arson and that absolutely no sane person could do such a thing. Evil comes in all forms and even you average joe could decide to start a fire intentionally. It's kind of irresponsible to limit your roster of people who might commit evil acts. Eesh I know this is a lot, I appreciate you if you took the time to read.

[@MrTripleXXX]

I was bullied a lot in school and it took me years to get over it as I had pent up anger as well... but I would never do something like this where it affects innocent people.

[@trapd00rspider]

I feel like if we paid as much attention to identifying arsonists before they offend as we do in counter-terrorism and deradicalisation efforts, we could prevent a lot of this, but maybe I just underestimate the efforts already undertaken in this area.

[@arefeshghi]

There should be a way to stop or identify these people!

[@aussie8114]

Excuses Excuses

[@andyanderson5637]

About half the people under 50 in my town are on disability and I know more than one that it's all an act just to lazy to work but have no problem running all over town for drugs day&night pretty sickening.

[@momsmushroomsjodyfoster5786]

Anyone found to be an arsonist should be imprisoned for life. Better yet hand them over to the public for punishment

[@mickydeloach7807]

MOMS Mushrooms Jody Foster no prison that costs more than you think! A .45 cal round to the back side of the head is much cheaper!

[@momsmushroomsjodyfoster5786]

Micky Deloach better yet, why waste a good bullet? I got a rope?

[@toni4729]

How about stopping being treated like shit at school. Trouble is it isn't just children that are autistic that are mistreated, it's adults too, perfectly sane adults that are severly mistreated. One person can really do some damage to another.

[@DungarooTV]

There are real monsters in this world.

[@franceslock1662]

When I was a kid people didn’t do this, what has changed, why are so many people starting fires? Dr Paul Reid has practical ideas we need to hear.

[@lissmcclymont8977]

Yes they did, you just didnt hear about it.

[@shanerr7252]

if he goes back there the locals will burn him

[@BlahBleeBlahBlah]

Yep, I was surprised his old house only had a few broken panes of glass!

[@jerichosharman470]

“Very good councillor...... there was no Brendan”