FRUSTRATED firefighters have turned to the community for help as firebugs continue to wreak havoc at Bonnells Bay.
Peninsula Rural Fire Services crews were called to two separate rubbish fires about an hour apart at the Bonnells Bay Community Hall and Skate Park on Tuesday night - where lounges, rubbish and graffiti littered the site.
The first call came about 7pm, brigade captain Robert said, after a member of the public alerted crews to the blaze.
"We attended that and found a lounge on fire, they extinguished the lounge and found a backpack full of paraphernalia - there was fire-lighting stuff and some knives," he said.
"That was extinguished and about 8:30pm we got called back and another lounge had been lit.
"I definitely think they need some lighting and cameras to deter this."
The park is often used by young families, and the brigade captain called on the community to report suspicious behaviour when they see it.
He said crews doused the surrounding area to put a stop to further fires, but it's not the first time they've been called out there.
"I'd say probably at least four or five times in the last year or year-and-a-half," he said.
"Every time it's lit there's multiple fires and you have to come back and put it out.
"It's definitely a waste of resources and if another urgent call was to come in we wouldn't be as available as we should be."
The bag containing fire-lighting equipment was handed over to local police for further investigation.
A Lake Macquarie City Council spokeswoman said it is aware of the incident and is working to clean up the site.
"There are no current plans to install CCTV at the facility," she said.
"Council takes illegal dumping seriously and the community is encouraged to report any instances to us at lakemac.com.au or 49210333."
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