Emergency services are convinced that the bush fire in Northland was deliberately lit.
Around 9.30pm on Monday, a member of the public alerted firefighters about a “raging” fire on the Waimahanga Track in the Kioreroa Scenic Reserve, north Onerahi.
While the fire didn’t endanger the people residing at nearby properties or call for an evacuation, the flames caused widespread damage to the flora around the surrounding area.
Fire Investigator Craig Bain said investigations carried out this afternoon with the police had left no doubt in their minds that the fire was “no accident”.
“We believe the place of ignition was probably close to the track and amongst the pampas grass which is known to burn with quite significant heat release.