Vic Christmas fire accused was on bail

A Melbourne man accused of lighting three fires on total fire ban days was on bail for other arson offences at the time.

Stuart Dean Robson, 47, has been charged with 13 offences including arson and reckless conduct over blazes in the outer Melbourne suburb of Sunbury on Christmas Day and December 28 and 29.

He appeared in court on Wednesday where he sought to be released on bail but prosecutors opposing his application said he was an extreme arson risk and had an uncontrollable urge to light fires.

They told the court he had been on bail awaiting trial for allegedly intentionally causing a bushfire and arson in October.

Detective Acting Sergeant Dennis Cunha said police had CCTV footage of Robson at the point of origin of a fire that ignited 200 metres from his Sunbury house on October 15 last year.

The footage shows Robson bending over with an unidentified item in his hand, the court heard.

He then stood up and while he was walking away, the CCTV footage depicts a puff of smoke at the point of origin of the fire, Det Act Sgt Cunha told the court on Wednesday.

Robson was charged, but was later granted bail with the condition that he not leave his home on fire danger days.

On New Year's Eve he was arrested in connection to Sunbury fires that ignited on December 25, 28 and 29 last year.

The Christmas Day fire burned more than 100 hectares and required five firefighting aircraft and 65 CFA appliances to bring under control, Det Act Sgt Cunha said.

As a result of the Sunbury blaze, these units were not available to be deployed to the catastrophic bushfires burning in the Otway Ranges on Christmas Day, the court heard.

Police say they have CCTV footage showing Robson leaving his home on each of the three December days he is alleged to have started the fires.

The court also heard he had been in hospital under police guard after he collapsed while in custody.

Det Act Sgt Cunha said investigators had spoken to Robson's treating neurologist and the nurse in charge of his ward at the Sunshine Hospital following his collapse, and they both said he did not suffer a stroke.

It was their opinion his seizures were "not organic in nature", Det Act Sgt Cunha told Magistrate Julian Ayres.

"To put it bluntly, your honour, he was faking it," he said.

Robson was denied bail and remanded to return to court in March.