On-call firie 'made hoax 000 calls'
FIRST ON SEVEN: An 18-year-old firefighter from Young will face court for allegedly reporting fake fires to make money.
Police say the calls were made to New South Wales Fire and Rescue between 31 July and 2 December, last year.
The accused, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offenses, was an on-call firefighter for NSW Fire and Rescue.
He has been charged with one count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and two counts of making false calls to an emergency number.
He has been released on bail and will front Young Children's court in February.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has toured Coonabarabran, which was hit by the state's worst fire in a decade.
More than 49 properties and at least 110 sheds have been destroyed by a fierce fire that continues to burn in north-western NSW.
Ms Gillard has been briefed this morning by NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
She will also visit the world-famous Siding Spring Observatory. The nation's largest telescope was spared by the bushfire that razed other buildings at the observatory.
