The call comes as the CFA yesterday announced the official beginning of this year's fire danger period.

Last Thursday, Crime Stoppers launched a new fire safety campaign to emphasise that suspicious behaviour can be reported confidentially and without fear of consequences.

Crime Stoppers executive director Peter Sprott said communities on the urban fringe were particularly vulnerable to bushfires and people were encouraged to pick up the phone if they saw or suspected arson in their neighbourhood.

Mr Sprott said people may be reluctant to dob in their neighbours, but police needed all the help they could get to find and prosecute offenders.

It is believed up to half of all bushfires are deliberately or recklessly lit.

"Eighty-five per cent of the state is bushfire-prone, and here we're right in the middle of it," he said.

"It's not necessarily that easy in a small community to report someone if there's just a suspicion. If you think you know something, no matter how small, phone us."

He said arson was a difficult crime to detect, committed by lone offenders in isolated places, and rarely by people who did not live in the same community.

In 2011, police investigated 35 people who were believed to have been involved in causing a bushfire and another 13 suspected of recklessly starting a bushfire. One person was charged with arson.

Mr Sprott said the number of calls to Crime Stoppers about arson were "very small" but hoped that would increase.

"It would be in the low hundreds. By comparison, we would take about 4000 calls about hoon drivers."

Information to Crime Stoppers, 1800333000 or visit their website here.