Police said a 51-year-old man appeared before a local court on Saturday charged with intentionally lighting a fire at Ebor in New South Wales state in an attempt to protect his cannabis crop.
The alleged bungled attempt on Thursday at backburning - a practice used by firefighters to clear the undergrowth that fuels fires - quickly spread the flames and the man did not try to extinguish the blaze, according to police.
The Ebor fire is about 10,000 hectares in size - and is still burning three days later.
On Sunday, there were 130 fires burning across the two states, large swathes of which have already been ravaged by a crippling drought.