Police are investigating whether two incidents that took place on Wednesday afternoon are linked.
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A white hatchback was set ablaze in Nerrina – a high fire-risk area – about 1.45pm in between Hillcrest Road and Lofven Street.
A Ballarat City Fire Brigade spokesman said they were lucky the conditions weren’t too dry or else the incident could have been significantly worse.
The blaze was brought under control within 10 minutes.
He said it was disappointing to see two similar incidents at the start of fire season.
Police would not confirm if the vehicle was involved in a brazen robbery earlier in the afternoon in Ballarat Central.
A woman had her purse stolen as she took out cash inside of the Westpac Bank branch on Sturt Street just after 1pm.
After being pursued by the branch manager, witnesses say the assailant escaped in a white Hyundai hatchback.
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