Alice Springs rural area property owners and residents are urged to be on the lookout after a number of fires were started in the Ilparpa area this week.
Alice Springs Fire Station Commander John Kleeman said fire crews attended five fires in the past four days in the Ilparpa Road and Honeymoon Gap areas, Northern Territory Police say.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, however Station Commander John Kleeman said he believed someone had deliberately lit the fires.
"These fires didn’t start themselves, said Stn Cmdr Kleeman
"We definitely think there is someone lighting fires in the area and are urging rural residents and property owners to be aware.
"We don’t know why someone would want to put others at risk, but this poses a very real threat to the people in these areas.
"We are asking people in the rural area to be vigilant and take note of any suspicious vehicles or people in the area and contact Police if need be."
Bushfires NT and the NT Fire and Rescue Services have assisted the Alice Springs Fire crews in maintaining a fire watch in the affected areas.
Station Commander Kleeman said as of May 1 fire permits would be reissued to rural property owners so they can clear their blocks.
"We’re coming into the cooler months which means rural property owners need to prioritise the maintenance of their fire breaks, clear their blocks and have an emergency evacuation plan in place.
"It is of the utmost importance that they do the hard work now to avoid heartbreak later on."
