South Auckland arson attacks: Alleged firebugs appear in court, suppression continues

Two accused arsonists, arrested following a spate of suspicious fires in South Auckland, have appeared in court.

A 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with 15 counts of arson and one count of burglary earlier this month.

When he first appeared in the Papakura District Court he was granted interim name suppression.

The Herald also revealed a second man, a 21-year-old farm hand, has been charged as a co-accused.

He appeared in the Papakura District Court on May 7, also charged with 15 counts of arson and one charge of burglary.

Today, in the Papakura District Court, the pair appeared briefly again before Judge Gregory Hikaka.

They had their name suppression continued until a future court appearance next month. The first man arrested was remanded in custody, while the second was remanded on bail.

The occupation of the first man is also suppressed, with Judge Hikaka receiving several letters in support of a suppression order today.

Both men have yet to enter a plea.

Several properties were targeted in the arson attacks throughout the wider Papakura and Pukekohe area last month, including two schools, as police hunted an unidentified firebug or bugs.

Show homes and vacant houses being built were also set alight, including a Pukekohe home under construction.

The fires are understood to have caused damage worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions.

Puni School principal Haydon Brill told the Herald earlier that the fire at his school had "completely gutted" one of the school's classrooms and could cost more than $100,000 to replace.

"Fortunately, the fire brigade got here very quickly - they said in another couple of minutes we would have lost a lot more," he said.

"It wasn't a smouldering pile, it wasn't a slow burn."

The biggest question pupils had when they returned to school, Brill said, was, "Why? Why us?".

"We are devastated, we are angry but we are also incredibly relieved that we have had support. We're incredibly relieved that [police] have found someone," he said.

The boarded up Puni School classroom. Photo / Supplied

Counties Manukau South Area Commander Inspector Dave Glossop said during the hunt for the alleged arsonists that an investigation team was working closely with Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

"We estimate the total damage to the properties to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not higher," he said.

After the initial arrest, Glossop hoped the apprehension of the alleged arsonists would provide some degree of comfort to the many victims and to the communities across the wider Papakura and Pukekohe areas.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the investigation team who have been working around the clock to identify the alleged offender[s] and hold them to account," he said.

The David Reid show home was guttered by fire in late April. Photo / Supplied