Melbourne man charged with lighting four fires in western suburb

A man has been charged with intentionally setting fires in an area that has been gripped by bushfires and extreme fire danger.

A man has been charged with intentionally lighting fires as Victoria wrestles with unrelated bushfires and extreme fire danger.

The 29-year-old was arrested and charged on Tuesday morning over his alleged involvement in lighting four fires in his western Melbourne suburb last week.

Emergency services were called to four fires in the suburb of Tarneit between the early hours of December 19 and the night of December 20.

Firefighters battled a grass fire on Homebush Drive, a fire at a house being built on Lidar Walk, a grass fire on Cassina Circuit, and another grass fire along a nearby creek bed.

Firefighters were called to four blazes allegedly started by the 29-year-old. Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

The Tarneit resident faces two counts of intentionally causing bushfire as well as charges of criminal damage by fire and lighting a fire in open air during a period of fire danger.

He is expected to front the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The man’s house was searched on Tuesday morning.

Police are asking anyone with footage or information about the incidents to come forward.

The man’s arrest comes as Victorian authorities continue to fight to extinguish several large bushfires in regional areas.

Hundreds of firefighters are still working to contain fires in the Grampians National Park. Picture: VicEmergency

The state will be subject to a total fire ban as of Boxing Day, as temperatures are expected to soar into the high 30s.

As of Christmas morning, blazes in Victoria’s Grampians National Park are yet to be contained. More than 44,000 hectares of land has been burnt.

Residents in neighbouring areas are still not safe to return to their homes.

18 fire fighting aircraft and 600 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze, including officers from other states.