Piha fires arrest: 'Not a hateful bone in his body'

Waitakere police area commander Scott Webb confirmed a Piha man was arrested in Tauranga this morning in relation to two fires among the spate of fires at Piha over the past nine days.

An isolated beachside community in West Auckland has expressed relief after the arrest of a teenager in connection with a spate of suspicious fires.

But a woman who knows the suspect says she is shocked and his family will be torn to bits.

The woman said she was friends with the family of the 19-year-old man, who faces three arson charges and one burglary charge related to a fire at a local fish and chip store and a large scrub fire adjacent to the store.

"This will be devastating for everyone involved ... it was not the outcome I was hoping for," said the woman, who has known the arrested man since he was born.

She said the man was a keen surfer who "doesn't have a hateful bone in his body".

Waitakere police area commander Inspector Scott Webb confirmed the arrested man was from Piha. He was arrested in Tauranga this morning in connection with two fires among the spate of fires at Piha over the past nine days.

He faces a third arson charge relating to a fire that occurred in the Auckland city area within the same period.

"Piha is a tight-knit community and we understand this has been a stressful time for residents. Police would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding," Webb said.

"We have received an overwhelming response from local residents and the wider public who have come forward with information.

"Further investigations are continuing in relation to multiple other fires in the area. At this stage police are not looking for anyone else and we cannot rule out the possibility of other charges being laid," he said.

The man will appear in the Tauranga District Court tomorrow.

Peter Chapman, who owns the Piha general store, said it was a relief to know the police had made an arrest in the case, which had brought the community closer together.

"The general feeling is the police have done a wonderful job along with fire investigators and we are also grateful for the fire volunteers in our community that the fires weren't worse," Chapman said.

The first of a series of suspicious fires around the isolated beach community was lit a week ago.

Just over 24 hours later, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, another spate of fires was reported on the Marawhara Walk Track at North Piha.

Soon after, fire crews became aware of two more fires on Lion Rock and a third on the embankment at the intersection of Marine Parade South and Beach Valley Rd.

Later that day police described the fires as suspicious and appealed for help from the public.

Flames destroyed a Piha takeaway shop in the early hours of Sunday morning. Firefighters also had to battle two more fires that took hold in hills above the township.

Police say there have been at least 15 suspicious fires around Piha in the past fortnight.