A fire which a woman claimed was deliberately lit in the Pines near Alexandra yesterday had the potential to be very dangerous, Alexandra Fire Chief Russell Anderson said.
A total fire ban is in place in Central Otago and open fires are prohibited.
Mr Anderson said the brigade was called to the fire yesterday afternoon.
A woman who was walking her dog through the Pines claimed she had seen someone start a fire there.
She said she had called out and the person drove off.
The woman had "stamped the fire out" but the brigade was called to make sure it was extinguished.
"In light of the information we received, the matter is now in the hands of the police, " Mr Anderson said.
The pine plantation is next to houses in the town and extends for about a kilometre, bordering State Highway 8.
"The wind was blowing at the time, in the direction of the town, and with how dry things are and the fuel loading around, any fire at the moment has the potential to be very dangerous," Mr Anderson said.
