Cohen Faull, 24, appeared at Horsham Magistrates' Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to lighting a fire on a total fire ban day.

The court heard Faull lit a fire at a Murtoa property on December 1.

Country Fire Authority crews were called to extinguish the blaze. Police also attended the scene.

Faull told police at the time that he had used the fire to cook sausages for tea.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Michelle Wentworth said Faull was co-operative with police and remorseful for his actions.

Faull told the court that he wouldn't have lit the fire if he knew it was a total fire ban day.

"It was actually drizzling rain at the time," he said.

Faull said he had been at Taylors Lake earlier that day with his daughter and a friend, but when it started to rain, they went back to the house.

He said the fire was in a stainless steel pit in the ground.

"We had run out of gas so we used it to cook tea for the kids," he said.

Magistrate Andrew McKenna said it was important people kept track of total fire ban days - especially in rural areas in summer. He fined Faull $800.

"It might seem heavy, but we need to show others that penalties will be imposed for this type of offending," Mr McKenna said.

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