Latest Fire at Detention Facility Contained
Media Release - DPS 102/2002
The latest in a spate of fires, believed to be deliberately lit, at several immigration detention facilities have now been contained at the Port Hedland centre.
The fire at Port Hedland, in a block used for storage and medical facilities, which was unoccupied at the time, began late on Sunday (29 December) night and after burning through the night, is now under control.
No detainees were injured in the fire, but two ACM officers were treated for smoke inhalation. A small number of people living close to the perimeter of the detention facility also had to be evacuated. The preliminary damage bill for the Port Hedland fire is estimated to be around $3 million.
Australian Federal Police are currently investigating the weekend fires at Baxter and West Australian Police are on site at Port Hedland.
In addition to these fires, there were also two small fires in an ablution block at Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre (IRPC) early on Sunday morning - the Woomera fires were quickly extinguished by staff at the centre and caused little damage.
Currently these centres report the situation is stable.
On Friday morning 27 December, the first of the weekend fires started at the Baxter Immigration Detention Facility. This fire was quickly contained, but early on Sunday morning 29 December another major blaze erupted at Baxter. This fire caused significant damage to the centre.
Late on Sunday another fire started at Baxter, in an area of the centre where the detainees had been moved. This fire was quickly contained.
As a result of the fires eight detainees from the centre were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation. All have since been released from hospital.
Early estimates put the damage bill at Baxter to be more than $2 million. In total, seventy-seven rooms were destroyed in two compounds.
The majority of detainees at both Baxter and Port Hedland facilities have been found not to be refugees and are either pursuing appeals through the courts or awaiting removal - a number are making removal problematic by failing to cooperate.
DIMIA will be seeking to take strong but measured action in response to these incidents and is exploring all appropriate measures in cooperation with State and Commonwealth authorities to bring those responsible to task.
DIMIA has also commenced an investigation into the Baxter fires. Additional detention officers were on site at Baxter and Woomera last night and the situation at those centres remained calm overnight.
The Australian Federal Police have advised that the area at Baxter IDF is currently the subject of forensic investigation and it would not be appropriate to grant entry to any media.
30 December 2002
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