A woman has been charged with arson following a blaze that destroyed a former mental health facility near Hokitika last month.
Emergency services responded to multiple reports of a large fire in the Seaview Terraces area, north of the West Coast township around 7am on August 10.
At its peak, seven fire trucks, two water tankers, and several support vehicles from six brigades were at the scene of the blaze.
It took firefighters the better part of two days to put out the blaze and for a scene examination to take place.
A 42-year-old Hokitika woman was arrested on Wednesday when police executed a search warrant.
Detective Sergeant Graham Parsons said first responders initially feared a person may have been inside the building at the time the fire was lit.
“We had real fears for the welfare of that person, and resources had to be diverted until, thankfully, we were able to establish nobody was inside.”
Parsons said the fire caused “considerable unrest” for the community and hoped the arrest brought some form of comfort to Hokitika.
“Police would like to acknowledge those people who have provided information and assistance.”
The woman faced a charge of arson and had been bailed to reappear at the Greymouth District Court on September 24.
Seaview Asylum, later known as Seaview Hospital, was a psychiatric facility located north of Hokitika.
It opened in 1872 and operated until 2009, making it one of the longest-running mental health institutions in the country. It housed 549 patients and was Hokitika’s largest employer.
