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UPDATE
A 53-year-old Sofala man accused of lighting a number of fires at Wattle Flat was granted bail in Bathurst Local Court on Wednesday.
Charles Christopher Regan was charged with four counts of intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread, and one count of damaging property by fire.
He will reside with his sister in Sydney until the matter is back before the court next Monday, February 10.
The accused posted $5000 bail, which he will forfeit if he does not appear.
He has been prohibited from entering Sofala, Wattle Flat or Bathurst unless he is accompanied by police.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between January 10 and 11, 2014, January 30, 2014 and January 31, 2014.
Police strongly opposed bail.
EARLIER
POLICE have charged a 53-year-old Sofala man with intentionally lighting a bushfire which threatened the township of Wattle Flat last week.
The fire, which started just after 2pm on Friday, burnt through 93 hectares of crown reserve one kilometre north-west of the village before it was brought under control.
The fire was one of eight lit around the Ilford, Sofala and Wattle Flat areas between Wednesday and Friday.
A subsequent police investigation deemed the fires deliberately lit, and police on Tuesday turned their focus to catching the arsonist.
Detectives from Bathurst Police Station went to a rural property on the Sofala Road, Sofala about 7.30 yesterday morning, where they spoke to a 53-year-old man in relation to the fires.
The man was arrested and conveyed to the Bathurst Police Station, where he was being interviewed late yesterday.
Police formally charged him last night.
Chifley Local Area Command crime manager Inspector Luke Rankin said the man was charged with multiple offences in relation to the fires that occurred in the Sofala and Wattle Flat areas last week.
Inspector Rankin said the man is also being charged in relation to a fire in a storage shed at the Wattle Flat racecourse that occurred on January 10 this year.
Inspector Rankin said yesterday it was anticipated the man will be refused bail and will appear before Bathurst Local Court today, and commended the work of detectives involved in the investigation.
“No doubt the recent fires have caused great concern to our Wattle Flat and Sofala communities, so we are very pleased with this development in our investigation,” he said.
Inspector Rankin said the man was charged with intentionally lighting bushfires.