NSW fires: arson squad investigating whether bushfire that destroyed 16 homes was deliberately lit

<p>Police say ‘active crime scenes remain at houses and dwellings’ in Koolewong on the Central Coast after devastating weekend blaze</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/08/it-came-from-everywhere-nsw-town-counts-the-cost-after-bushfire-hits">‘It came from everywhere’: NSW town counts the cost after bushfire hits</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/dec/09/australia-news-live-aukus-submarine-wong-marles-rubio-hegseth-anika-wells-family-travel-benefit-social-media-ban-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Arson squad and forensic officers are investigating the cause of a bushfire that destroyed 16 homes on the New South Wales Central Coast on the weekend.</p><p>Fanned by high temperatures and strong winds, the out-of-control blaze swept across <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/07/disaster-declared-as-nsw-firefighters-continue-to-battle-20-uncontained-bushfires">Koolewong on Saturday</a> afternoon, with the flames at one point jumping a stretch of water 1km wide.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/09/nsw-fires-bushfire-arson-squad-investigating-koolewong-fire">Continue reading...</a>

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