A 40-year-old Dunedin man has been charged with causing the blaze which gutted a bar near the Octagon and two other fires in the city early this morning.
A police spokesman confirmed the man had been charged with arson in relation to the fire at the Di Lusso Bar in lower Stuart St about 4am today.
He had also been charged with arson over two other fires, and was expected to appear in the District Court later today.
Sergeant Phill Hamlin said it appeared that all fires had been started using newspaper.
The blaze at the bar did not appear to be motivated by any ill-will towards its owner, Sgt Hamlin said.
An armchair was set alight in a driveway of a Cargill St property, and a pile of newspapers lit underneath a car in Cumberland St, between 3.30am and 4.05am.
A Fire Service spokesman said the blaze at Di Lusso Bar was noticed by a crew attending the Cumberland St fire.
Four appliances from Willowbank, Dunedin, St Kilda and Roslyn attended the Stuart St blaze and a fire investigator was at the scene this morning.
The bar is based in the category 2 listed Allbell Chambers building, which is more than 100 years old.
