Police believe house fire in Naenae, Lower Hutt was deliberately lit

Emergency services were called to the property in Sladden St in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Police believe a house fire in the Hutt Valley suburb of Naenae was deliberately lit and are looking for witnesses.

Emergency services were called to the property in Sladden St in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Detective Sergeant Seamus Doyle said a person at the house woke to find the front porch was on fire shortly after 3am.

“Thankfully, they were able to wake everybody else in the house and they all made it out of the house uninjured.”

Doyle said a scene examination and initial inquiries determined the fire was deliberately lit.

“We would like to hear from anyone in the Sladden St area who saw any suspicious activity or vehicles between 3am and 3.30am on Tuesday morning.

“This includes any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 105 and reference file number 250225/0666.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.