Arson ruled out in Marysville bushfire

Updated June 25, 2011 07:26:00

The Marysville primary school lies in ruins after the bushfires that destroyed the town. (AFP: William West)

Police are no longer treating one of the deadliest of Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires as arson.

Arson was believed to have been the cause of the fire that all but destroyed the town of Marysville in February 2009, killing almost 40 people in the town and the nearby communities of Narbethong and Buxton.

Police set up a special taskforce in the week after Black Saturday to investigate the fire that originated at the Murrindindi mill.

Homicide Squad detectives interviewed a veteran CFA volunteer as a part of the investigation.

But police have now confirmed they no longer believe the blaze was deliberately lit.

While they are still investigating the cause, a police spokeswoman says it is officially no longer classed as a criminal matter.

Tags: disasters-and-accidents, fires, bushfire, law-crime-and-justice, australia, vic, buxton-3711, marysville-3779, narbethong-3778

First posted June 25, 2011 07:17:00

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/25/3253360.htm

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