A house on Upper Waingawa Rd in Kaituna, west of Masterton, has been “totally destroyed” by fire after a dispute between the homeowner and a male who was seen leaving the property beforehand.
Fire and Emergency [Fenz] crews from Masterton, Carterton, and Upper Hutt were called to the structure fire shortly before 11pm on Thursday night, and police were alerted to the incident at around the same time.
Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Skoglund said the property had been “totally destroyed” when police arrived at the property.
Skoglund said none of the house’s occupants were there when the fire started but that “a male had been seen leaving the address preceding the fire”.
A fire safety officer and a member of the police conducted a scene examination yesterday, and while Skoglund could not confirm any details, he said based on information he’d received “it’s highly likely some form of accelerant was used”.
“Police are aware that there was a dispute between the owner
