The 11-year-old boy, arrested this morning over two bushfires in Port Stephens last week, has now been charged.
He is accused of deliberately starting a grass fire in Elizabeth Street at Raymond Terrace on October 13 and then later that day another blaze at Heatherbrae. The later burnt more than 5,000 hectares of bushland.
He was arrested at his Raymond Terrace home this morning and has just been charged with two counts of intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread.
He’s been bail refused to appear in a children’s court today.
Police said inquiries into the fires are continuing.