Police are appealing for information regarding three youths in school uniform seen in the vicinity of a fire which tore through a shed in Caledonian Rd yesterday.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said police believed the fire to be suspicious and were following strong lines of inquiry concerning the youths who were seen in the area between noon and 1pm.
The "large broken-down wooden structure", surrounded by gorse and bush, was fully alight by the time fire crews and police arrived about 1pm.
Two pumps from Oamaru and a tanker from Weston attended the blaze, which was extinguished by 3.30pm.
The small derelict shed had been known to be frequented by youths, who had slept and consumed solvents and drugs there, Sgt Woodbridge said.
The iron roof had collapsed by the time emergency personal arrived, and was later peeled back due to suspicions that somebody may have been inside.
Sgt Woodbridge declined to identify which school's uniform the youths were wearing.
