Latest news with #NZPOLICE
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin bus fire deliberately lit
The house bus front and driver's side. PHOTO: NZ POLICE A fire investigator has ruled a bus fire on a residential street in Dunedin was arson. Early on November 14, a house bus parked in Maitland St, Dunedin, burst into flames. Fire and Emergency New Zealand investigator Matt Jones, along with the police criminal investigation branch and a police photographer, investigated due to the "suspicious nature" of the fire. He ultimately determined it was deliberately lit. Mr Jones said the fire was caused "by persons unknown and the ignition source was either taken away or consumed in the fire". "Fire patterns within the wheel arch space area also supported a hypothesis that a fire was started with an ignition source that could not be identified." The inside of the bus had almost no fire damage apart from a storage area below seats on the passenger side, Mr Jones said. The bus, a 1989 Mitsubishi Rosa camper, had not been used for some time. Electrical, gas, wiring and mechanical problems were quickly ruled out. "Three hypotheses were developed from the information and evidence collected during the scene examination. "The separate hypotheses were researched and tested against the fire patterns and physical evidence found at the scene. "The results from the testing eliminated two hypothesis as causing the fire."
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Bus fire arson
The house bus front and driver's side. PHOTO: NZ POLICE A fire investigator has ruled a bus fire on a residential street in Dunedin was arson. Early on November 14, a house bus parked in Maitland St, Dunedin, burst into flames. Fire and Emergency New Zealand investigator Matt Jones, along with the police criminal investigation branch and a police photographer, investigated due to the "suspicious nature" of the fire. He ultimately determined it was deliberately lit. Mr Jones said the fire was caused "by persons unknown and the ignition source was either taken away or consumed in the fire". "Fire patterns within the wheel arch space area also supported a hypothesis that a fire was started with an ignition source that could not be identified." The inside of the bus had almost no fire damage apart from a storage area below seats on the passenger side, Mr Jones said. The bus, a 1989 Mitsubishi Rosa camper, had not been used for some time. Electrical, gas, wiring and mechanical problems were quickly ruled out. "Three hypotheses were developed from the information and evidence collected during the scene examination. "The separate hypotheses were researched and tested against the fire patterns and physical evidence found at the scene. "The results from the testing eliminated two hypothesis as causing the fire."
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Sightings of vehicle sought by police
A vehicle of interest in relation to a house fire in Waikaia, near Gore. PHOTO: NZ POLICE A vehicle of interest has been identified in relation to a suspicious house fire in Waikaia in February last year, police say. A red BMW ZC convertible was seen leaving the Waikaia township at speed around the time of the fire, Det Sgt Brian McKinney, of Gore, said in a statement. He said the vehicle was also seen travelling towards the Riversdale area at speed on the same night. Police were asking for any more information about the vehicle's movements around the time of the fire. Emergency services were called to the fire in Elswick St just after midnight on February 21 last year. Anyone with information that could assist was asked to contact police via 105 either over the phone or online, using the reference file number 240222/8704, or provide it anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
