The cause of the fire, in a mature Calder Stewart radiata pine block in Coal Gully Rd in February, is listed as "matches or lighters (suspicious)" in official information about four South Otago fires released to the Otago Daily Times.
About 40 firefighters from four brigades worked alongside the Dunedin control unit and five helicopters during the blaze, which embroiled 12ha of hillside forestry at its peak.
Attending the scene, Dunedin deputy principal fire officer Jason Sarich said the fire was the second such incident on the same road within days.
On July 1, Clutha-Taieri Police area response manager Senior Sergeant Stan Leishman confirmed there had been three "suspicious" fire incidents on the road during a period of three weeks, following the major Nelson fires this summer. He said investigations into the fires remained open.
"Unfortunately, it may have been a copycat. It could be wayward youths. The list of suspects is numerous. Whoever it was would have to have been mobile due to the remote location of the fires, so we'd still like to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, or who may have other relevant information."
In other details released by Fire and Emergency NZ, an investigation into a "suspicious" garage fire in Lewin St, Balclutha last June has been shelved due to lack of evidence.
