Fires that broke out in a Wellington restaurant and a nearby commercial building around the same time early today are considered suspicious.
Fire Service central city senior station officer Barry Murphy said a fire in the Oriental Thai Restaurant, at the corner of Cambridge Tce and Vivian St, was reported shortly before 2am.
About five minutes later firefighters were called to the second blaze at a commercial building about 100m along Vivian St.
In the second incident, rubbish had been stacked up in the entrance to the building and set alight, Mr Murphy said.
The first fire had started in a carport beside the restaurant and underneath two residential apartments.
Residents of the apartments had got out safely, but the restaurant was badly damaged.
"The people living up there were extremely lucky," he said.
Police and fire safety officers were investigating both fires.
- NZPA
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