Harpal Singh, 67, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to lighting a fire during a fire danger period.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Chris Cole said Singh lit a mound of organic material on fire on his 39-hectare Tallygaroopna property while there was a fire danger period in place on March 31.
The fire spread into a grass paddock after Singh left the fire unattended for several hours.
Singh then used a tractor spray system to put out the fire; however, he didn’t put it out entirely, Leading Sen Constable Cole said.
Singh’s neighbour called 000 after they saw lots of smoke, and the CFA responded.
The fire spread to Singh’s neighbour’s property, burning some machinery and a small part of their house.
Singh told police he felt terrible and didn’t realise he needed a permit to light a fire during a fire danger period.
Singh’s defence solicitor, Ian Michaelson, said his client thought he had extinguished the fire and was very remorseful.
Mr Michaelson said Singh and his wife had moved to northern Victoria from Melbourne in semi-retirement to run the 39-hectare hobby farm, and he was a novice when it came to farming.
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said Singh showed an “inexcusable” level of “carelessness” and “recklessness” when he left the fire unattended.
Mr Zebrowski told Singh it got very hot and dry in rural Victoria, and he was “pretty lucky” the fire wasn’t any worse.
Singh was fined $2000.
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