Te Mata Peak blaze suspicious

Te Mata Peak.

A fire on Te Mata Peak that destroyed a hectare of vegetation is being treated as suspicious.

The rural fire force is investigating the blaze that engulfed pine and blue gum trees, with flames reaching about 1.5m.

Two fire trucks, a tanker and rural fire vehicles were called to the scene at about 5.27am on Friday, a spokesman for the Heretaunga Rural Fire Force said.

It took five hours to put out the blaze.

Investigators tracked the origin to a walking track near the carpark, at the gateway to Te Mata Park.

Te Mata Park Trust chairman Bruno Chambers said he had been in Christchurch so had yet to assess the extent of the damage but was disappointed to hear the blaze was suspicious.

He said if the fire had been lit in drier windier conditions the result could have been a lot worse.