Arrest after motel fire in early morning

A person has been arrested following a fire at a Rotorua motel early yesterday morning.

Northern fire communications shift manager Craig Dally said they were called to a motel on Victoria St about 3.10am.

The fire was confined to one room in the motel, he said.

One person was taken to hospital for a check-up and had since been taken into custody. He is facing one charge of damaging a property by fire, having ought to know danger to life was likely to ensue. He is also facing a charge of having an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a metal pole.

Fire investigators were on scene. Meanwhile, fire investigators were at the scene of a house fire in Maketu.

Dally said a house on Church Rd was well alight when fire crews arrived. The initial call came in at 3.37am. There was no one in the house at the time and three fire crews attended.

Police were also called.