A magistrate has warned of the risk of fire during summer in the Ballarat region as he convicted a man over lighting a blaze during the CFA’s danger period.
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The man, who The Courier has chosen not to name, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court this week and pleaded guilty to one charge after burning rubbish in a vacant block in Ararat on February 23.
Magistrate Ron Saines slammed the man’s actions, saying fires could easily burn out of control.
“Anyone who lives in the country knows there are months in the year when you do not light a fire – it’s just that simple,” he said.
“This is the sort of thing that can get out of hand, and, when it gets out of hand, it can cost hundreds of lives.”
The man was fined $200 with conviction.
The CFA restricts the use of fire during the danger period every summer.
