Volunteer firefighter jailed for lighting fire (Pyromania)

Volunteer firefighter Christopher James Spooner has been jailed for 12 months for starting a bushfire (file photo) (ABC TV)

A volunteer firefighter has been jailed for 12 months for starting a bushfire in the Perth hills two and a half years ago.

Christopher James Spooner was found guilty by a jury of starting the blaze in November 2005. The 21-year-old also admitted lighting two other fires but the jury found him not guilty because they did not put life or property at risk.

District Court judge Julie Wager said the offence was serious because Spooner knew the dangers of lighting fires through his work as a volunteer. Spooner will be eligible for release on parole.

Police say they hope the jail term imposed on Spooner will deter others from doing the same.

Detective Senior Sergeant Alex Ryan from the Arson Squad says the crime was particularly serious because of Spooner's work as a volunteer for the Darlington Volunteer Fire Brigade.

"I think firefighters, particularly volunteer firefighters, they're aware of the dangers involved," he said

"They know what a fire can actually do because they see it first hand."

Reflecting on Christopher Spooner's sentence, Chris Hynes from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority said he didn't want one bad egg to tarnish the reputation of WA's volunteer firefighting network.