KEY POINTS:
A volunteer firefighter accused of lighting scrub fires in Wellington's southern suburbs will stand trial on eight counts of arson.
Richard John Stephens, a 26-year-old student, appeared for a depositions hearing in Wellington District Court yesterday.
He has denied lighting eight fires in scrub around Lyall Bay, Happy Valley, Mornington and Brooklyn in April and May this year.
Prosecuting Sergeant Barney Souter said Stephens was a member of the rural volunteer fire service and urban search and rescue.
As a firefighter, he had helped battle fires he had started.
Mr Souter said Stephens lit three fires on April 10, two on April 17 and three on May 31.
He said windy conditions and rough terrain endangered firefighters called to extinguish the blazes.
Because the fires were set so more than one was burning at the same time, firefighters were put under pressure, and the resources of Wellington's urban and rural fire services were stretched.
Fire engines from around the region and helicopters with monsoon buckets were used to fight the fires, the largest of which destroyed 7000sq m of vegetation.
A white hatchback vehicle was seen near the fires on each of the three days, Mr Souter said.
A witness to one of the May 31 fires, who saw Stephens get into his white Nissan Sentra hatchback, gave the registration number to police.
He was arrested and admitted lighting fires that day, but refused to comment on the previous fires.
Stephens was remanded in custody until October 9 for a callover hearing.
- NZPA
