Victims speak out after garages torched in Rotorua

Rotorua residents woke to smoke and flames this morning after a suspected arsonist set two garages on fire, destroying everything inside.

The Rotorua Fire Brigade was called to the first garage fire just before 7am and firefighters were at that scene when the second garage was set alight 16 minutes later.

Police believe the Clayton Rd fires were deliberately lit. They are looking for a man described as "tall and skinny" wearing a white hoodie.

Solo mum Rachel Mearns is the owner of the first garage set on fire.

One of the garages fully ablaze. Photo/Supplied

She was woken this morning by a loud banging on her front door.

"It was a man who was coming home from the pub," she said.

"My first reaction was 'this is a joke,' but he kept banging, so I opened the door and my garage was on fire."

Police were already on the road and Miss Mearns said she could hear the fire engines coming.

One of the two garages damaged by fire at separate Clayton Rd properties. Photo/Ben Fraser

"It was so strange when minutes later the one across the road went up in flames," she said.

"You see ads on TV about how quick fires go up, but you just don't understand it until you see it."

Miss Mearns was in tears this morning and said the event had been so surreal she was still in shock.

"It's something you think will never happen to you," she said.

"What if they come back, that's what I am worried about now."

She was also worried about the state of her uninsured car, which was in the garage at the time of the fire.

A part of Clayton Rd between May Rd and Roosevelt Rd was closed for a time this morning. Photo/Ben Fraser

Across the road Frankee Andrews and Maire Lyons were woken by police as they came running down their driveway.

Theirs was the second garage to catch fire.

"I heard the police coming and I thought the police were after someone, it gets hectic around here, and I thought they were chasing someone down our drive," Mr Andrews said.

"I popped the window open ready to tackle whoever it was, then I saw the fire and thought, 's***, I can't tackle that'."

Miss Lyons said the police yelled at them to get out of the property.

"It's my day off and I just wanted to sleep in," she said.

Mr Andrews said they just grabbed the kids, 11 and 13, and got out of the house.

"We've lived here for five years," Miss Lyons said.

Frankee Andrews surveys the damage to his garage. Photo/Ben Fraser

"It's the kind of street where you do have to close your gate, otherwise someone will come into your garage and take your stuff.

"We don't really keep anything important in there."

She said they previously had things taken from the property and had found empty bottles and cans that didn't belong to them around their garage.

One neighbour said he had rushed outside before the fire brigade arrived because he could smell the smoke.

"As I looked out the lounge window it was just a plume of smoke," he said.

"It wasn't quite daylight and I could see the orange glow of the fire in the sky."

One of the damaged garages on Clayton Rd this morning. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua Fire Brigade senior station officer Jim Prescott said it didn't make sense for people to do this.

"It's probably for a thrill, but people end up losing property," he said.

"It destroyed the entire contents of the first garage and damaged a car, the second property all the goods were ruined and then the car was not able to be recovered."

Mr Prescott said the fires were now under police investigation.

A police spokeswoman said they got a report about 7am of a man trying to break into a house on Clayton Rd.

"The house owner disturbed a man trying to gain entry through the back door and the man ran from the scene," she said.

Police were investigating the multiple fires on Clayton Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser

"The home owner then discovered their car had been broken into and a number of items had been taken."

A unit was patrolling Clayton Rd looking for the offender when they came across the first garage fire, she said.

"As well as the vehicle break-in and the two garage fires, police also received a report later this morning at 9.50am, that another vehicle on Clayton Rd had been broken into and the dashboard and seats had been burned," the spokeswoman said.

"All of these incidents are being treated as suspicious and police are investigating. Scene examinations are being carried out.

"It is believed the man observed trying to gain entry to the home this morning may be linked to the three fires and police would like to find him. He is described as tall and skinny and was wearing a white hoodie."

If you were in the area and noticed anything that may help police with this investigation contact Rotorua police on (07) 349 9400.

Alternatively information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.