A Melton man who unknowingly breached a total fire ban by lighting a campfire in Kingower has fronted the Bendigo Magistrates' Court where he was fined $250 without conviction.
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The man told Magistrate Ross Maxted he had left his home on March 17 around midnight before arriving at the Ironbark Camp in Kingower, an area 45 minutes north-west of Bendigo, around 2am on March 18.
The man told the court he was camping with his children for the last weekend of the school holidays and on arrival he lit a campfire to be able to see while he set up the tent.
He said he went to bed with the fire still burning.
On waking, one of the children told him there was a member of the public at the front of the tent and that person told the man that it was a total fire ban day.
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The court heard that witness had alerted the CFA and police.
The fire had burnt down but it was still emitting heat, and the man doused it with water to put it out.
Pleading guilty to a single charge, the man said he had "no idea the day had been declared a total fire ban day" and said he had not checked the weather.
"I just simply apologise for everything," the man said.
Magistrate Maxted said it was "incredible" the man had not looked at the weather for the purpose of camping.
He said it was incumbent on those travelling to rural areas, particularly bushland, to check weather forecasts.
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Lucy Williams
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
