- Published:
- Thursday 28 May 2026 at 4:32 pm
The Conservation Regulator has charged 12 people after campfires were found burning on Total Fire Ban days in Victoria’s north‑east last summer.
The charges relate to incidents on 5 and 7 February 2026, when a Total Fire Ban was in force across the local fire district due to dangerous fire conditions.
Conservation Regulator Authorised Officers detected the campfires during patrols on public land.
Four men have been charged over a campfire at Running Creek Campground in the Mansfield State Forest on 5 February.
Three men have been charged after a campfire and charcoal camp cooker were found burning at the Island Campsite in the Delatite Arm Reserve on 5 February. A 17-year-old male who was at the site has also been issued with an official warning.
Three men and two women have been charged over a campfire at a campsite north of Raids Inlet at Lake Eildon on 7 February.
Each person has been charged with a single offence related to keeping a fire alight in the open air during a Total Fire Ban.
The charges follow a Shepparton man being convicted and fined $5,000 in the Mansfield Magistrates’ Court last month for lighting a campfire at Lake Eildon during a statewide Total Fire Ban on December 26, 2024.
The Conservation Regulator conducts targeted patrols in camping areas across Victoria over summer to reduce bushfire risk and protect communities and the environment.
Campers are responsible for knowing whether a Total Fire Ban is in place, before lighting a campfire.
Total Fire Ban declarations are available via the VicEmergency website and app or through the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
Lighting a fire on a Total Fire Ban day can result in significant penalties, including fines of up to $48,842 and up to 2 years in jail.
Quotes attributable to Conservation Regulator Hume Manager of Regulatory Operations Greg Chant:
Total Fire Bans are declared to protect the community and the environment, when hot and windy conditions can allow embers from even small fires to spread quickly and ignite new fires in the landscape.
Under Total Fire Ban conditions, lighting fires in the open air is illegal as it puts lives, property, and the environment at serious risk.
Updated