Australia says arsonists may face 25 years in jail

Australia on Friday revealed plans to introduce national arson laws with a maximum penalty of 25 years behind bars in the wake of deadly wildfires that claimed 173 lives.

Attorney General Robert McClelland said the devastating February blazes, which flattened more than 2,000 homes and razed entire towns, had highlighted the need for harsher, more consistent penalties.

"Given the incredible damage to property and loss of life that can be caused by bushfires, it is critical that offences across Australia are consistent and effective, and those sentences reflect the seriousness of this crime," McClelland said in a statement.

"People who deliberately light fires must face tougher penalties, particularly when those fires result in loss of life as occurred recently in the Victorian bushfires," he added.

Each of Australia's seven states and territories currently has its own laws covering arson and bushfires but there is considerable variation in penalties that are applied, McClelland said.

The Victoria state fires were the worst in the nation's history, as record high temperatures combined with tinder-dry conditions to create unstoppable firestorms on February 7.

The fires raged for weeks before being brought under control by thousands of firefighters, and survivors in some areas have only recently been allowed to return to their homes to begin rebuilding.

One man has been arrested on arson charges over the fire at Churchill, and police are reportedly hunting a second over the deadly Marysville blaze which killed 34 people.