ACT police have charged a man with deliberately lighting grass fires in Canberra's south in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Luke Grey Thoroughgood, 20, faced the ACT Magistrate's Court on Saturday where he was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment.
He was not charged by the court but will remain in custody until he returns next week.
ACT Policing alleged Thoroughgood started now-extinguished blazes in the suburb of Curtin.
He was arrested a short time later nearby and charged with deliberately lighting a fire during a total fire ban.
The ACT is currently in a state of alert, one step below a state of emergency, with a total fire ban declared for Saturday.
Local firefighters have returned from fighting fires interstate as the capital braces for extreme conditions.
ACT police said people should contact authorities if they notice any suspicious activity in open land or on the territory's urban fringes.
