Grandstand blaze suspicious - fire

A fire at a south Auckland athletics club grandstand is being treated as suspicious.

The blaze at Massey Park in Papakura started shortly after midnight and engulfed much of the Papakura Athletic and Harriers Club grandstand.

The fire service needed 44 staff and 12 appliances to extinguish the fire.

Fire Safety officer Michael McEnaney said early indications were that the fire had been deliberately lit.

"There has been recent history at the site - there has been something in the last month or so," he told NZPA.

"The area of origin of the fire leads us to believe it's a little bit suspicious."

Mr McEnaney said the fire had been contained relatively quickly and the grandstand had not been totally gutted.

"It was a good save from the team really in terms of containing the fire," he said.

"I don't know about the facilities underneath and one side of the grandstand will need some work, but part of it is probably useable."

Fire safety officer investigators trying to establish the cause of the fire will be joined today by police, who will examine any potential criminal wrongdoing.

- NZPA