A charge alleging that a Mount Gambier man deliberately caused a bushfire at the popular Valley Lake precinct has been dismissed by a South Australian court after prosecutors were unable to provide further information to support the allegation.
Travis Bruce Doel, 37, appeared before the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court, where his lawyer sought to have the bushfire charge dismissed. The court was told that despite previous adjournments, no additional prosecution material had been supplied regarding the allegation.
Magistrate Kylie Schulz granted the application and dismissed the bushfire count. However, the dismissal does not prevent authorities from potentially re-laying the charge if further evidence becomes available in the future.
The allegation related to a fire that occurred in October 2025 within the Valley Lake precinct, a well-known recreational and tourism area near Mount Gambier's famous crater lakes. Emergency services responded after several small fires were reported in the area. At the time, police alleged the incident had the potential to become dangerous if weather conditions had changed or the fire had spread.
While the bushfire charge has been dropped, several other charges against Doel remain before the court. These include allegations of theft, threatening to cause harm, and using offensive language during an incident involving two women at the Valley Lake area. Those matters were not part of the dismissal application and will continue through the legal process.
Court documents indicate prosecutors allege the incident involved threatening behaviour toward members of the public shortly before the fires were discovered. The accused has previously been refused bail because of the seriousness of the allegations as a whole.
Doel remains scheduled to return to court in August, when proceedings relating to the remaining charges will continue. Police investigations into those matters remain ongoing.
