KEY POINTS:
A child is believed to have lit the fire which gutted a large commercial block in Feilding last weekend.
The fire broke out in Central Auto Parts on Manchester Square about 7pm.
The building, occupying all the southwest corner of Manchester Street and Kimbolton Road, had been badly damaged in a fire last November and was scheduled for demolition.
Firefighters from Feilding, Palmerston North, Cheltenham, Bunnythorpe and Halcombe took at least an hour to bring it under control.
Detective Felicity Mansell said witnesses were still being interviewed but the issue was "pretty much resolved", the Manawatu Standard reported.
The 12-year-old child was going to be dealt with through youth aid, she said.
"We have very few avenues open to us with a child this young but the parents are being very supportive."
Ms Mansell said the gutted building had been used as a playground by a group of children for some time.
"The kids had found this place to hang out and their parents knew about it. There was a room upstairs where there were holes in the ground. They put pieces of wood over the holes."
Ms Mansell said it was "very dangerous" and it was fortunate "we don't have a bunch of dead kids".
- NZPA
