House arsons
Police are continuing to investigate two house arsons from late 2023. The first house fire, on Kiriwhakapapa Rd north of Masterton, happened sometime on the night of November 17 or the early hours of November 18, although because the home was vacant at the time, it was not discovered until about 11am on November 18. Police also responded to reports of a house fire on December 3 on Fabians Rd in Morison Bush at 11.21pm. The home was severely damaged by the fire, and a police spokesperson confirmed that the remaining structure would need to be demolished. Two occupants were home on the night of the fire and were able to leave the property safely and without injury. Both fires are being treated as suspicious but are not believed to be related.
Burn-off
reminder
Masterton Fire Brigade attended a grass fire in Matahiwi yesterday afternoon. Crew were called to the scene at 12.27pm. A spokesperson confirmed it was about 2.5 hours before the blaze was under control, which occupied an area of around 50 metres by 40 metres. The spokesperson said that while it was hot, “luckily there was still some green grass in the area, which slowed it down”. He confirmed that the fire started from an old burn-off from three weeks ago and said that it is a timely reminder for farmers who have had burn-offs recently to inspect the area and make sure there are no hotspots resurfacing.
Police reports
One person was taken to hospital yesterday morning after an assault in Featherston. Police received a report of the assault on Churchill Cres at about 11.45am yesterday morning. The injured person is believed to have sustained minor injuries, and there was no indication from the police spokesperson that an arrest had been made. A second call for police came in at about 11.55am regarding a sheep on the loose in West Taratahi. The incident occurred on SH2 near Norfolk Rd. The sheep was wrangled back home with the help of a contractor and no further police action was required.
