Police have arrested a 33-year-old Alexandra man who will appear in court today on charges of arson and stealing a motor vehicle, after an incident in Alexandra yesterday.

At 4am on Monday emergency services were called to a fire in the Boundary Rd industrial area of Alexandra, where two vehicles were located on fire.

Shortly after, a further vehicle was reported stolen from the same area and later located abandoned in a rural area on the outskirts of Alexandra.

A scene examination by fire investigators determined the car fires to be arson, and following the investigation the man was arrested yesterday afternoon.

He is due to appear in the Queenstown court today on charges of arson and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Waugh said police were pleased to have located the offender quickly.

“Vehicle theft and damage are frustrating crimes for victims, especially in areas like this where most people rely heavily on their vehicles to carry out their day-to-day life.

“We’re pleased to have put a stop to this man’s offending and placed him before the courts where he can be held to account for his actions.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) fire investigator Scotty Cameron travelled to Alexandra from Invercargill to investigate the situation on Monday morning.

Scotty said the fire brigade initially responded to a report of a possible vegetation fire and found the vehicles alight, which they extinguished.

Burnt out cars behind tape in Alexandra. PHOTO: The Central App

One of the vehicles damaged was a white courtesy car owned by nearby Hill Automotive.

Owners Paula and Roger Hill found out about the incident when Roger was biking to work at about 6.30am on Monday morning when he saw all the water around.

“The whole thing is bizarre . . . we would hope that no one hates us this much,” Paula said.

She said her view was that the event was not connected to their business. 

She said the courtesy car parked there was not frequently used, one car was being stored there by a Hill Automotive customer, and the other two were going to be towed.