In the past six months, courts have imposed more than $11,000 in financial consequences for illegally lighting campfires.
The 61-year-old from Berwick and 40-year-old from Endeavour Hills appeared in the Seymour Magistrates' Court this month after their campfire was found burning at Murrindindi Scenic Reserve over summer.
A Conservation Regulator patrol detected the illegal campfire at Blackwoods Campground on February 17 when a Total Fire Ban was in place across the North Central Fire District.
The court heard the fire had been lit to prepare breakfast and coffee for their camping group.
When authorised officers attended the campsite, they found burning logs, visible flames, smoke and embers in the fire pit.
Under Total Fire Ban conditions, lighting fires in the open air is illegal.
The men were placed on diversion plans, avoiding criminal convictions on the condition that they each complied with court ordered requirements, including that they each donate $750 to the Murrindindi CFA, complete the CFA's Fire Safety Essentials program, provide formal written apologies to fire management officials and be of good behaviour for a period of six months.
Since May 2026, courts have ordered more than $11,000 in fines, CFA donations and court fund contributions for offenders who breached Total Fire Ban restrictions with campfires around Mansfield, Lake Eildon and Murrindindi.
Where campers fail to comply with fire restrictions, enforcement action may be taken, including prosecution.
Conservation Regulator Hume Manager of Regulatory Operations Greg Chant said lighting a campfire during Total Fire Ban conditions was not worth the risk.
“In Total Fire Ban conditions, an escaped campfire can quickly become a bushfire, putting lives, property and the environment at risk,” he said.
“When a Total Fire Ban is in place, the rule is simple: no campfires, no exceptions.”
Total Fire Ban declarations are available via the VicEmergency website and app or through the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
