Detective Senior Constable Jason Brown said although there was not a total fire ban that day, the man displayed reckless behaviour.
“It was a high fire danger period day, instead of a total fire ban day – you still have to clear 30 m around you to have a fire on these days,” he said.
“Plus, the intention to light the fire has to be for cooking or warmth purposes, and the perpetrator didn’t meet any of that criteria.”
The man was also charged with possessing methylamphetamine and graffiti.
Westmeadows resident Matthew Hauffe and Port Melbourne resident Jackson Carrs found the man who was charged just after the fire was lit, about 8 pm on January 1.
According to Mr Hauffe, Mr Carrs approached a Rushworth property they were staying at on a bike ride, telling Mr Hauffe a fire had been lit.
Together, Mr Hauffe, 32, said Mr Carrs, 27, confronted the man as the fire burned, before rushing back to the Rushworth residence and dialling 000.
Det Sen Const Brown said while he estimated the fire to be two square metres, he understood why communities had been upset about the incident in a time where “so much” of the state is on fire.
“Obviously we’ve had a lot of fires out. If you don’t have to have a campfire, don’t have one,” he said.
The man will appear in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court in April.