A diesel spill in Queens Drive, Invercargill - and apparently linked to boy racers - resulted in firefighters being alerted after the diesel caught fire and ignited some nearby scrub early today.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said the fire had been referred to the police, and there may have been some boy racer involvement before the 1.53am callout.
A police spokeswoman said police were alerted, had seen several small roadside fires, and had spoken to "a couple of people'' in cars at the scene.
No charges had been laid, and further details were not available.
It was not clear exactly how the diesel came to be on the road, she said.
Station Officer Jodi McHugh, of the Invercargill fire station, said firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, in a small area of scrub, with a high pressure hose.
Police were in attendance when Fire and Emergency New Zealand firefighters arrived, and the cause of the diesel spill was a matter for police, she said.
A small section of Queens Drive was reduced to one lane for a short time as firefighters worked in the semi-rural area, near Thomsons Bush and the Waihopai River.
The Invercargill City Council was also alerted, to lay material on the road to soak up the diesel, she said.
