A caretaker at a Raglan property has faced court after a burn-off gone wrong during a fire restriction period.
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The man appeared at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday to plead guilty to charges include breaching fire restrictions, unlicensed driving and firearms offences.
The court was told the man was doing slashing work at a Raglan property on March 5, 2022.
At the time, fire restrictions were in place in the Pyrenees Shire Council area, where Raglan sits, ending in May.
He came across a mound on the property, with a fence on it, which could not be accessed by the tractor he was working on and decided to set the mound alight.
When he did, a southerly wind took the fire out of immediate control.
The ensuing fire burnt two acres of the property before being put out by others on site.
The man later told police he mistakenly thought fire regulations in the shire ended in March.
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Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz said she hoped the man had learnt his lesson about lighting fires during a fire regulation period.
"You are not the first person that has come before this court who has lit a fire on a day and it has just taken off," Ms Mykytowycz said.
"If that hasn't scared you into never doing that again, then there's nothing I can do for you."
The man was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond and fined $1000 without conviction.
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