The 47-year-old appeared briefly in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Friday charged with arson, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and making a threat to kill.

He was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly set fire to a blue gum plantation, causing damage worth $5000.

Police allege members from Cobden attended the man's address on Wednesday to conduct a welfare check.

Upon sighting police, he allegedly rode off on a quad bike to inaccessible parts of a nearby property and sat in the middle of a blue gum plantation for 45 minutes until officers left the vicinity.

While hiding in the plantation, the man allegedly lit a fire that burnt nearly two acres of land, causing $5000 damage.

Five CFA tankers attended the scene and the fire was extinguished.

The blue gum plantation covers 70 hectares of land and is owned by a private company.

The owner of the property told police the man was highly erratic and smashed down a number of fences with a quad bike before falling off and injuring himself.

He alleged the man also threatened to kill him.

The accused man was arrested the following day by members from Camperdown, Port Campbell, Cobden and Warrnambool police.

During a police interview, he allegedly told police "when I get stressed I light fires".

The man made no application for bail and was remanded in custody until April 5.

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