Camera used to hunt arsonists

Te Mata Peak guardians were yesterday studying surveillance camera footage in a bid to identify those responsible for a fire that raged on the peak's eastern face yesterday.

Te Mata Peak Trust Board chairman, Brian Chambers, said the cameras had been installed last October in response to repeated fires and acts of vandalism on the iconic Hawkes Bay lookout.

It was hoped that the infra-red equipment had captured licence number plates of cars on the peak before the weekend blaze.

Fire services were first called to a fire covering half a hectare on the peak about midnight on Saturday, and battled the fire until about 3am.

Firefighters were called out again at 9.30am on Sunday to either a new fire or a flare-up of the original blaze, which is believed to have spread over 100ha of grassland.

The fire which destroyed grass and shrubs was under control by yesterday morning.

At the peak of the blaze, 50 firefighters, three helicopters, 16 appliances and Army volunteers fought the flames. Assistant fire region commander Chris Nicoll said wind conditions on the peak made work difficult.

Mr Chambers said the trust board was concerned about the number of fires being deliberately lit on the peak.

He said the blaze would have been much worse if the wind had been blowing in a different direction.

The weekend fire follows a pine forest blaze at Patoka on Thursday.

Early estimates suggested timber with a maturity value of up to $150,000 had been lost.

- NZPA