A firefighter was taken to St John of God Hospital with minor injuries on Saturday night after the roof of the house in Milford Court collapsed during the fire.

The owners of the house were not at home when the fire began and investigators are not treating it as suspicious.

Ballarat City Fire Brigade senior station officer David Mounier said the fire was a warning to residents to be vigilant about fire safety when going on holidays.

“A lot of fires in homes are caused by electrical faults,” he said.

“Some people leave lights on to make it look like someone is home, but these are heat sources.

“It’s better to leave them off and let your neighbour know you’re going away and get them to take out the bins and collect your mail.”

Mr Mounier said it was also important to ensure all appliances were in good working order and serviced.

“Turn off all electrical appliances, by doing this it’s also saving energy,” he said.

“Also don’t leave pilot lights on, turn them off if not needed.”

Five trucks from Ballarat City, Wendouree and Invermay Park stations attended the fire after being called about 4.45pm Saturday.

Fire investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze yesterday. 

Due to extensive structural damage, they were unable to enter the house by foot.

“Fire investigators used a platform ladder to look through the roof to get an aerial view of the structure,” Mr Mounier said.

“This gives them a better angle to see the fire’s direction.”

alicia.thomas@fairfaxmedia.com.au