New Zealand woman arrested for allegedly setting fire to a yacht in Queensland

The yacht was set on fire in the Whitsundays. Photo / Facebook

A New Zealand woman has been charged after allegedly assaulting a man and setting fire to the yacht the pair lived on in Australia.

The boat was destroyed after it caught alight at 5.40pm on Friday while moored in Pioneer Bay, Airlie Beach in Queensland's Whitsundays, according to the Australian Daily Mail.

The blaze could be seen from suburbs away with emergency services spending several hours working to put out the fire.

The fire caused a gas bottle to explode on the vessel, with locals reporting hearing the loud bang ring out across the quiet resort town.

The 54-year-old New Zealand woman was the only one on board and was forced to jump into the ocean to escape the flames, said a report in the Daily Mail.

She was then rescued by police and taken to hospital with serious burns to her legs.

A 64-year-old man who lives with the woman on the yacht was allegedly assaulted earlier that day and sustained minor injuries.

The woman has been charged with one count of arson, a count of assault and contravening a domestic violence protection notice.

She was also charged with two counts of assault causing bodily harm relating to earlier alleged incidents.

The woman is due to appear in court tomorrow, said the Daily Mail.