The burned food had been placed in a bin around 11pm, but had not been fully extinguished with resulting smoke going throughout the second floor of the guesthouse.

A Ballarat City Fire Station spokesperson said it was fortunate that the fire brigade was able to arrive quickly as there was potential that it could have turned into a more serious incident.

Fortunately there was no structural damage.

"It's a good warning to make sure you check your food," he said.

It was a busy night for firefighters who were earlier called out to reports of a grass fire alongside the Midland Highway near Buninyong.

And this morning crews were also called out to extinguish a campfire which had been left smouldering in near Stawell Street Nerrina, and also look at sparking powerlines in Sebastopol which started as a result of the overnight dewy conditions.

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