Police will allege Warren Fletcher Munday, 54, repeatedly set fire to furniture and other household items in the dead of night on a vacant, heavily vegetated block less than 100 metres from his Hilltop Avenue home.

Some of the blazes, fanned by strong winds, came within metres of family homes on Noble Parade and Hilltop Avenue, prompting frightened neighbours to repeatedly contact Fire and Rescue NSW to extinguish the flames.

One neighbour became so concerned he set up CCTV cameras pointing into the vacant land.

The footage allegedly captured Munday, who police said has a distinct way of walking and running, lugging lounges, chairs and household into the block and setting them on fire before running from the blaze back towards his house 80m down the road.

The court heard Munday was seen wearing the same shorts and gumboots, and sometimes a beanie, during almost all the incidents caught on camera.

Munday was arrested by police early Tuesday morning after officers carrying out covert surveillance of the block saw him entering carrying a wooden cabinet, which he put on a lounge he'd allegedly placed there the previous day.

Munday was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station and charged with 28 counts of intentionally causing a fire and being reckless to its spread.

The charge carries a maximum of 21 years behind bars upon conviction.

Munday declined to be interviewed by police, allegedly telling them "I'm just going to deny it".

He was remanded in custody and faced Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday afternoon, where he sought release on bail.

Defence lawyer Ron Davis said Munday had lived in the same house for 50 years, did not present a flight risk and could lodge a small self-surety to secure his release.

He also said Munday would agree not to attend the vacant block while on bail.

However, police opposed Munday's release, arguing his actions presented a significant risk to community safety.

"These are extremely serious offences, the lighting of multiple fires, some during the extreme fire danger period in January this year," police prosecutor Sergeant Coby Davis said.

"It's a strong case, with CCTV footage showing the same person at the same location each time burning pieces of furniture.

"The risk he poses to the community is significant."

Sgt Davis also noted Munday had a previous conviction for damaging property by fire after he set fire to rubbish at the front door of a real estate agent with whom he had a dispute.

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie refused Munday's bail application, noting he had a lengthy criminal history and a custodial sentence was "almost inevitable" if he was convicted of the charges.

Documents tendered to the court said fires had been occurring at the vacant block for more than 15 years, with more than 75 recorded in the five years to January this year.

A neighbour brought the fires to the attention of police in September 2018, informing officers he had installed CCTV cameras in a bid to catch the culprit.

Police will allege Munday was seen on the footage lighting five fires in 2018, one of which spread into surrounding scrub and edged within metres of a property on Noble Parade.

Meanwhile, Munday stands accused of lighting a further 22 fires between January and August this year.

It is alleged a fire lit during the height of the catastrophic bushfire danger period in January "grew with extreme intensity" and spread quickly across the vacant block, partially destroying a fence at the same Noble Parade property.

Police were scathing of Munday's alleged behaviour in documents tendered to the court, claiming he had shown "complete disregard for the community" and had "risked the lives of the residents surrounding the vacant block".

"The offences have caused significant concern to local residents and on several occasions has caused damage to property," investigating officers wrote.

"Munday's [alleged] actions are ongoing, showing a compulsion to committing these offences.

"Police have extreme concerns for the safety of nearby residents."

The matter will return to court next Wednesday.