A Mawson man who allegedly lit a number of small grass fires near Government House on Saturday has pleaded not guilty.
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Luke Grey Thoroughgood, 20, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday and entered a plea of not guilty to lighting a fire in Curtin during a total fire ban.
Saturday was Canberra's hottest day on record, hitting a scorching 44 degrees, and there was an extreme fire danger rating.
Mr Thoroughgood allegedly deliberately lit several grass fires about 2am on Saturday.
The fires were extinguished by ACT Fire and Rescue, no property was damaged and Mr Thoroughgood was found by police after a brief search.
Mr Thoroughgood was due to make an application for bail on Tuesday, after he was earlier taken away for a mental health assessment.
However, the application was abandoned while a place in a rehab facility was sought.
His lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, handed to the court a bundle of pages with Facebook posts, which he said amounted to threats against his client since his arrest.
The maximum penalty for lighting fires during a total fire ban is up to $32,000 in fines or two years imprisonment.
Mr Thoroughgood will return to court on Wednesday to determine his bail.
