( CNN ) -- A court has lifted a ban on identifying a man charged with one of a number of deadly wildfires that scorched southeastern Australia this month . A dirt track runs through the burnt out forest in the Kinglake region of Victoria state . The man , 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk , did not appear in Monday 's hearing in Melbourne Magistrates ' Court , the Australian Associated Press reported . An order banning the publishing of Sokaluk 's street address or his image remains in place . Public passions are running high in the aftermath of the fires that have killed scores of people . One T-shirt says , `` The bastards who lit Victoria 's fires should : Burn in hell . '' Sokaluk is suspected of lighting a fire on February 7 . He was charged with arson causing death , intentionally or recklessly lighting a bush fire , and possessing child pornography , Victoria state police said last week . The fire Sokaluk is accused of setting killed at least 21 people in Gippsland . See map of fire-hit areas » . Sokaluk 's identity had already been revealed on social networking sites before the court lifted the suppression order on his name . There were 12 Facebook groups carrying details about Sokaluk , with one attracting more than 3,600 members . Watch more on arrest » . Robbie Shenton , who has joined one such group , told CNN : `` The judicial system had no right to suppress his name or photograph . '' Melbourne 's Age newspaper reported Police had contacted Facebook seeking removal of Sokaluk 's details . The death toll in a string of fires across Victoria climbed to 189 on Monday , police reported . The number of fires burning had dropped to six , from about a peak of about three dozen , the Country Fire Authority said . Watch a survivor tell his story » . Meanwhile , more than 150 detectives were working on the arson investigation , authorities said . The fires have destroyed more than 1,800 homes and displaced about 7,000 people . Priyanka Deladia contributed to this report .
Court lifts ban on identifying man charged with starting deadly wildfire . Brendan Sokaluk , 39 , did not appear in Melbourne Magistrates ' Court . Order banning publishing of Sokaluk 's address or image remains in place .