Firefighters fought a gas-fed blaze at a Palmerston North home for more than hour before contractors could dig up the road and cut off its supply.
It was one of two house fires last night.
Three fire engines were called to Ranfurly St at 6pm where the back part of an unoccupied house was on fire.
Palmerston North senior station officer Ian King said the fire was being treated as suspicious.
"The fact that the house was unoccupied and secured made us tend towards looking at it as a suspicious fire; plus there's been reports of kids seen on the property from time to time."