Woman arrested over Rotorua fires

Police in Rotorua have arrested a woman over a series of arsons that have frustrated emergency services since January.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said the 39-year-old would face a range of charges relating to fires mainly lit in residential areas in the city's western Pukehangi suburb.

Mr Loper said police had been attending suspicious fires in the area since early January, but there was a noticeable spike in the frequency of fires over the last week.

"It is pleasing to have located and charged a person in relation to these fires," he said today.

"It was concerning to police that there appeared to be an arsonist in the area and it was only a matter of time before someone could have been seriously hurt."

The woman was due to appear today in Rotorua District Court.

- NZPA