Fire at abandoned Petone school

File photo / NZ Herald

More than two dozen firefighters have been called out to a blaze at an abandoned Petone school this evening.

The derelict, two-storey building at the former Petone College closed in 1998 but was used by Hutt Valley High School until 2002.

Firefighters were unable to enter the building due to the intensity of the blaze.

There were a dozen suspicious fires in the Wellington region last weekend, leading to the arrest of a 43-year-old man who has now been charged with 10 counts of arson and one of attempted arson.

Two fires lit at the Basin Reserve cricket ground have sparked fears of a copycat arsonist.

- Herald Online