The woman, who The Courier has chosen not to name because she avoided a conviction, pleaded guilty to four counts of intentionally causing a bushfire at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The Mount Clear woman used a lighter to start the fires near Tinworth Avenue on December 26 during a prohibited fire period.

She attended Indicator Lane on her gopher about 3.55pm and lit dry grass and leaves causing a fire which spread quickly through the undergrowth, according to police.

About 4.30pm, the woman set fire to dry grass and leaves near a water tank adjacent to Tinworth Avenue and the fire spread to the fenced area.

After travelling 100 metres north on her gopher, she lit the third fire on the eastern side of a track.

The woman went a further 50 metres to light the fourth fire at the intersection of two tracks, which again spread through dry grass, leaves and undergrowth.

One witness patrolling the gold mine fence came across one of the fires and attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher before calling triple zero.

The CFA were able to extinguish the fires quickly.

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Defence lawyer Scott Belcher submitted the woman should be placed on a diversion plan, but magistrate Ron Saines said the fires could have caused catastrophic consequences to residents and properties.

The magistrate said if there was any flirtation with fires in the future, this offending would be on the woman's criminal record.

Mr Belcher disagreed a diversion plan was inappropriate, saying the woman was crying out for help for her alcoholism problem.

He said the mother-of-four wanted to go to prison to stop drinking alcohol, which she had abstained from for 12 months before relapsing.

She now has plans to re-engage in alcohol treatment programs.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Fletcher said it appeared the woman deliberately chose to light the fires under a gorse bush or on dry grass, which were plants known to ignite easily.

He said there seemed to be a degree of planning in the offending.

Mr Saines said he accepted the woman's offending may have been explained by her alcoholism and prescription drug use but he said it brought into focus the community's safety.

The woman was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond, without conviction, and ordered to pay $600 to the court fund.

She will be required to continue to engage with her doctor.

The woman appeared in court via a video link from her home for the hearing.

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