Two people have been arrested and charged with arson after a fire gutted a Hamilton mechanic’s workshop last month.
Emergency services were called to the building on Ellis St, Frankton at around 11.30am on March 10.
Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze and crews from as far as Te Awamutu responded, Fire and Emergency NZ said.
Detective Sergeant Matt Lee today said police have arrested a 46-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman.
“We would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the public who provided information that assisted in our investigation.”
The pair were due to appear in the Hamilton District Court on May 6.
Fire and Emergency NZ said 35 firefighters attended the fire at what’s believed to be a mechanics. (Source: Supplied)
Heidi Shoston told 1News at the time she was sitting in her office, along the road from the mechanic, when the blaze broke out.
“We all went running out to the carpark and saw the roof was on fire, plumes of black smoke everywhere.”
A group of workers gathered to watch the fire from across the road, and Shoston said they could feel the heat from the flames.
“Every now and then, there would be these loud bangs coming from the building, we reckon they were oil drums heating up and going off intermittently.”
Firefighters got the blaze under control “really quickly”, she said.
“They had the majority of it out within half an hour.”
