Ricky Kenneth Ballard-Lestrange, 32, pleaded guilty when he faced Taree Local Court on Tuesday to two counts of intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread.

He was formally refused bail and will be sentenced on April 3.

Ballard-Lestrange lit the two bushfires within a few kilometres of his own home as temperatures surpassed 45 degrees on February 12, and admitted to police he knew the blazes would “go stupid” and could even put his own property in danger.

But he lit them anyway because children who were with him “like fire trucks”.

The former NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer, who spent five years in the organisation until resigning in 2007, had two young children with him when he drove along Darganvilles Road, near Dyers Crossing, and stopped to allow one of the children to go to the toilet while the suspected firebug smoked a cigarette.

It was then he decided to use a lighter to ignite some grass and leaves.

Ballard-Lestrange then drove four kilometres along the rural road before stopping near a turf farm and using the lighter to spark another blaze.

A witness allegedly saw a man leave the area before seeing flames and smoke billowing from the bush about 3.30pm.

Fire crews were able to extinguish both blazes before they took hold, one fire burning about two hectares of bush and grass and the other approximately one hectare.

Mr Ballard-Lestrange was arrested about 30 minutes later and allegedly admitting to starting both fires in an interview with police, stating one of two children who were with him at the time “likes fire trucks”.