A 16-year-old youth will appear in Christchurch District Court today charged with arson after a blaze which injured three firefighters and razed a century-old Christchurch home.
Christchurch police said they believed the youth was part of a group of young people seen lighting fireworks near the Geraldine St house, in the suburb of St Albans, less than an hour before flames engulfed it on Saturday night.
The youth was arrested and charged yesterday and held in police custody overnight.
Police inquiries are continuing into other members of the group.
One firefighter was burnt and blistered in the blaze and two others were hit by falling debris when the roof of the house collapsed.
Firefighters had battled the fire for more than five hours.
The four fire crews who attended were told somebody was trapped inside, fire investigation officer Ian Fleming said.
But the owner of the house had already escaped unharmed.
"It was a stupid act which put our guys in danger,"
Mr Fleming said.
- NZPA
16-year-old charged with arson
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