A total of 16 fires have been connected to the 29-year-old, including one incident where three fires caused about $15,000 of damage in an apartment building in West Melbourne.
Detective Senior Constable Bubb said the first incident was on the November 27 and the latest was yesterday.
Police allege four incidents happened yesterday, including one in which a man poured spirits onto a bag of aerosol cans at the entrance to a business on Mercantile Place in Melbourne about 6.30pm.
McArdle is described as 180cm tall, medium build, brown hair and has an Irish accent.
He has a number of tattoos, including one on his left arm saying, “only the strong survive”.
Detective Senior Constable Bubb said he is known to frequent Melbourne’s CBD and the St Kilda area.
Detective Senior Constable Bubb said police are concerned about the escalating behaviour.
“It’s absolutely more brazen and disturbing, it’s very reckless and dangerous,” he said.
CCTV and an image of McArdle has been released by police today in hope someone recognises him and can provide information on his whereabouts.