A man has been charged as Dunedin Police continue to investigate a series of arsons around the city.

Following his arrest on Wednesday, the 48-year-old Dunedin man was charged with 'wilfully setting fire to property knowing that danger to life was likely to ensue'.

He appeared in Dunedin District Court on Thursday 20 November, and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 16 December.

The charge relates to the deliberate fire at a vacant Lees Street property about 12.30am on Tuesday. It followed a fire at a vacant building on Harrow Street about hour earlier, while vegetation was set alight on Brighton Road about 1.20am.

Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh said investigators are continuing to look into the fires, but thanked the community for the information provided so far.

“The arrest is a significant development for us; the investigation team has been chasing down a lot of leads but there’s still work for us to do.

“We’re grateful for those people who have provided information, but we still need to hear from anyone with information who has yet to reach out. If you have any details that could help our enquiries, please contact us."

Detective Senior Sergeant Leigh said nobody was injured, but that didn’t make the fires any less serious.

“Fire spreads incredibly quickly and it puts everyone at risk, from the public to emergency services. We treat these events seriously, and the arrest we’ve made in this case is a welcome development.”

Anyone with information can update Police by making a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking update report, or by calling 105. Please use the reference number 251118/1721. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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