The car was all but destroyed after the blaze broke out in an area which fire crews say is becoming a popular place for stolen cars to be dumped.

The blaze briefly threatened to spread to nearby scrub but fire crews were quickly able to bring it under control.

The deliberately lit fire continues a disturbing trend across the region with cars having been torched recently from Cardigan in the west, to Nerrina in the south and Mount Clear in the south.

Ballarat City Senior Station Officer Darren Roper said it was an incredibly foolish act that could have dire consequences on a hot and windy summer day.

“It appeared in this case again it was a stolen car, there were no numberplates and was deliberately set on fire, the car itself was loaded up with wood,” he said.

“Fortunately for us where it was dumped was a reasonably clear area, but it did at one point catch onto scrub. The benign weather certainly helped us out.”

Senior Station Officer Roper said if the breeze had have picked up, it could have been a disastrous situation.

Less than 24-hours earlier, in even cooler weather, a slasher was believed to have started a fire in a plantation south of Linton.

“If the breeze had have picked up like last Friday or like it is supposed to over the next few day, it could have been a catastrophic outcome,” he said.

“If I was speaking to these people you would not only point out the outcome, but also the waste of resources and the number of crews involved.

“One of the most dangerous parts for a firefighter is actually getting to the fire. You’re putting emergency services in danger as well as any residents nearby.”

“The obvious warning is just don’t light fires, think about the consequences, it’s just essentially a very silly act.”

Information, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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