Man charged with arson after CBD fire

A man has been arrested and charged with arson following a blaze on Tuesday night that destroyed Pit Stop Taupō.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was alerted to a building fire at Pit Stop Taupō just before 11pm on Tuesday night.

Six crews from Lake Taupō, Kinloch and Tokoroa responded to find the building well ablaze.

Fire and Emergency, in a statement, said it took until just after midnight to suppress the blaze and it was almost 4am before all hotspots were extinguished.

On Thursday, a Police spokesperson said a 53-year-old man had been charged with arson.

The building sustained substantial damage, and spread to the adjoining building, which sustained minor fire damage, the spokesperson said.

“Thankfully, the premises were unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.”

Police allege the fire was lit deliberately, after a fire investigator inspected the scene on Wednesday morning.

The man appeared in the Taupō District Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody until March 17.