'Hold still' - Man captures arson on cellphone

Te Puke's Fire Chief Glenn Williams. Photo / Te Puke Times

A man used his cellphone camera to really put the heat on a group of people pictured at the scene of the alleged arson of a 4WD vehicle near Te Puke.

The witness called emergency services at 6.50am on Sunday but by the time Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade reached the scene, nearly 4km up Manoeka Rd, the car was completely engulfed in flames.

Te Puke fire chief Glenn Williams said the 4WD was in a remote location at the top of the road near Otawa Lodge.

Mr Williams said a man who lived in the area captured the antics of the vehicle's occupants prior to the fire.

He said they were damaging property, including running over letterboxes on the road.

Mr Williams said there was quite a bit of personal property spread around the the scene of the fire.

"The car was totally involved by the time we arrived."

The neighbour told a firefighter at the scene he had walked up to one of the offenders, told him to hold still and taken his photo to pass on to police.

Tauranga Police said a 19-year-old man from Te Puke was due to appear in court facing two charges of burglary and one charge of arson.

Meanwhile, an accidental car fire created a spectacle for hundreds of motorists going over the Kaimai Ranges on Sunday afternoon.

A mechanical fault saw the 4WD catch fire about 5pm, as the driver returned from a day skiing.

The driver reached the safety of the summit carpark where the vehicle continued to burn until the arrival of fire appliances from Greerton and Matamata.

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