A MAN who started a small grass fire in Goornong while using an electric grinder on a total fire ban day has been given a $1000 fine.
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Neville James Jenkins, 52, of White Hills, pleaded guilty to one charge at the Bendigo Magistrates Court on Monday of allowing a fire to start on a day of total fire ban.
The fire burnt a quarter of an acre on a Bendigo-Murchison Road property in November last year.
The court heard Jenkins was working on the property on November 20, in strong winds and with temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Tony Graham said Jenkins was operating an electric grinder at the edge of the property near long grass.
The court heard he was removing a meter at the bottom of a four-foot pit.
The work created sparks and caused long grass nearby to catch alight, spreading quickly in strong winds.
Defence attorney Bob Cameron said Jenkins attempted to extinguish the fire using water from a bucket he had alongside him at the time and by beating the flames with his clothes.
Jenkins burnt his legs trying to put out the fire, which damaged fencing on the property.
He also drew water from the nearby Campaspe River before contacting the property owner, who alerted emergency services.
Mr Cameron said Jenkins thought he could complete the work quickly before conditions worsened for potential fire and there was "nothing deliberate" about the act.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said the situation could have been much worse.
"This is how disastrous fires happen," he said.
"It was very fortunate that only a quarter of an acre was damaged.
"There have been fires of thousands of hectares where someone's carelessness has been the primary cause.
"People have to know if they are engaged in such conduct even if it has only a remote potential of igniting a fire."
Jenkins received a conviction and was fined $1000, in addition to $113.90 in costs.