'Suspicious' fire near quake zone

Photo / NZ Herald

A fire which tore quake-damaged boarding house in the Christchurch CBD this morning appears to be suspicious, a Fire Service spokesman says.

Southern Communications spokesman Lance Johnston said crews were called out to the blaze at 3.52am and found the Salisbury Street building "well ablaze".

At the height of the blaze 34 fire fighters were at the scene.

Mr Johnston said seven pump trucks remain at the scene dampening out hot spots.

Neighbours told fire fighters the house was under-repair and unoccupied.

Mr Johnston said the fact the house was unoccupied makes it appear to be suspicious, however the cause of the blaze will not be known until fire safety and police complete their investigation, which is underway.

The inner city blaze overnight follows another last week in the suburb of Middleton, in which a fire fighter was hospitalised after a first floor of the quake-damaged building collapse.

Mr Johnston said all buildings damaged in Canterbury's earthquakes are listed with the fire service, and there is a procedure for crews to follow for callouts at these buildings.

If a building is within the CBD's Red Zone, an engineer accompanies the crews, he said.

"If crews think a building is unsafe to enter, they will not enter it," Mr Johnston said.

- Paul Harper, NZPA