Two arsonists are on life support, 20 have been seriously injured and one has died in botched firebombing jobs across the city, an arson squad detective says. Detective Inspector Chris Murray said crime bosses consider the young people they recruit expendable, and urged them to stop accepting the work.
Murray said the injuries had come from attacks carried out for people the offenders did not know, and that payment was often withheld. "The people [ordering] these arsons [see you] as the individuals who are expendable," he said. "You're just cannon fodder to these 'taskers' ... you are their business model. Without you, their model doesn't work."
A fire destroyed Etuners Motorsport on Centre Road in Springvale just before midnight on Tuesday. Three offenders wearing hoodies and face coverings were seen fleeing in a white car, and the owner was alerted by a mobile alarm but the fire had taken hold before emergency services arrived. Murray said the business and its owner were co-operating and “completely innocent”, and that the owner was “certainly scratching his head about why he would be targeted”. It was the second time the business had been targeted, after a drive-by shooting in October.
This masthead reported last week that crime gangs were approaching young offenders on the street and even at a funeral to carry out arson, abductions, carjackings and home invasions, with one middle man having access to more than 2000 foot soldiers. Arson attacks across the state have risen nearly 75 per cent over the past decade, to 3600 incidents a year in 2026 from a record low in 2021, and police sometimes issue “pre-warning” alerts to firefighters that a target somewhere in their service area could soon be hit.
Police say young people recruited to carry out arson attacks have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Murray said police had increased patrols after a spate of attacks over the past two months and that targeted operations were resulting in arrests. He said the Retailers Association had begun working with police to identify suspicious transactions of jerrycans and fuel, which was already "paying dividends".
He said leaving the work was difficult once offenders had started, with gangs using threats and intimidation to keep them accepting jobs. "We see them in the most vulnerable state when they're caught. The tears, the family's tears, and they're now sorry," he said. "You can say no."
Anyone with information on the Springvale fire or the drive-by shooting is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The injury figures give a concrete measure of a recruitment pipeline that police say draws teenagers into serious criminal work for little or no payment.
- The Springvale fire shows the attacks reaching established suburban businesses, not only residential targets.
- Charges already before the Children's Court mean the pattern will be tested in court rather than only in police statements.
Background
Arson-for-hire has become a recognised feature of organised crime in Australia, with gangs outsourcing lower-level violence to people who take the legal risk while others direct the work. Victoria Police have been running operations aimed at both the people carrying out the attacks and the networks paying for them. The rise in reported arson over the past decade, and the practice of warning firefighters in advance, reflect how routine the attacks have become.
Key Perspectives
Detective Inspector Chris Murray, Victoria Police arson squad: says young people taking firebombing jobs are treated as "cannon fodder" and are "their business model", that some are not paid, and that the fastest way to break the attacks is for them to refuse the work.
What to Watch
- Whether the Children's Court proceedings over the Taylors Hill attack produce findings about how the 13-year-old was recruited and paid.
- Whether police link the Springvale fire and the October drive-by shooting to organised crime, which Murray said would be investigated.
- Whether the Retailers Association's monitoring of jerrycan and fuel purchases leads to further arrests.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says an arson squad detective called young firebombers “cannon fodder.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““You’re just cannon fodder to these ‘taskers’ … you are their business model. Without you, their model doesn’t work.””
- SupportedTwo arsonists are on life support and 20 have been seriously injured in botched arson attacks across the city.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Detective Inspector Chris Murray said two arsonists were currently on life support, 20 had been seriously injured, and one has died in botched arson attacks across the city.”
- SupportedOne person has died in botched firebombing jobs across the city.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Detective Inspector Chris Murray said two arsonists were currently on life support, 20 had been seriously injured, and one has died in botched arson attacks across the city.”
- SupportedMurray said crime bosses consider the young people they recruit expendable, and used the quoted phrase “cannon fodder.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The people [ordering] these arsons [see you] as the individuals who are expendable. “You’re just cannon fodder to these ‘taskers’ … you are their business model. Without you, their model doesn’t work.””
- SupportedA fire destroyed Etuners Motorsport on Centre Road in Springvale just before midnight on Tuesday; three hooded, face-covered offenders were seen fleeing in a white car.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “On Tuesday, a factory on Centre Road in Springvale was destroyed by fire just before midnight. Three offenders, wearing hoodies and face coverings, were seen fleeing the scene in a white car.”
- Partly supportedPolice say young people recruited to carry out arson attacks have suffered life-threatening injuries.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A 13-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after he set fire to cars in Taylors Hill last month.”
- SupportedThe business had been targeted before, in a drive-by shooting in October.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “It was the second time the business has been targeted, after a drive-by shooting in October.”
- SupportedThe story says this masthead reported last week that gangs were recruiting young offenders, including through approaches at a funeral, and that one middle man had access to more than 2,000 foot soldiers.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “This masthead revealed in a special series last week that crime gangs are recruiting young offenders in random approaches on the street, and even at a funeral, to commit arson, abductions, carjackings and home invasions. Just one middle man had access to more than 2000 foot soldiers.”
- SupportedArson attacks across the state rose nearly 75 per cent over the past decade, to 3,600 incidents a year in 2026 from a record low in 2021.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Over the past decade, arson attacks across the state soared nearly 75 per cent to 3600 incidents a year in 2026 from a record low in 2021.”
- SupportedMurray said police increased patrols after attacks over the past two months and targeted operations were resulting in arrests.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Murray said after a spate of attacks across the past two months, police had increased patrols, and targeted operations were resulting in arrests.”
- SupportedMurray said the Retailers Association was working with police to identify suspicious jerrycan and fuel transactions, which was already “paying dividends.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The Retailers Association had also started working with police to identify suspicious transactions of jerrycans and fuel which was already “paying dividends”, he said.”
- SupportedMurray said, “We see them in the most vulnerable state when they're caught. The tears, the family's tears, and they're now sorry,” and, “You can say no.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““We see them in the most vulnerable state when they’re caught. The tears, the family’s tears, and they’re now sorry. “You can say no.””