Quick thinking by an off-duty Dunedin firefighter helped save a small building in Palmerston from being damaged in a suspicious fire early on Saturday. The firefighter, who was apparently on his way to work, was driving past the Ronaldsay St property, near the township’s southern outskirts, shortly after 5am when he noticed a small fire near the building, Palmerston Volunteer Fire Brigade fire chief Gary Johnston said. The fire was regarded as suspicious and had been referred to the police. The building, a small garage which was being converted into a sleep-out, escaped serious damage, with only some minor external scorching. Mr Johnston said firefighters were "never off duty", and the passing firefighter’s swift action had avoided much more serious property damage, and had stopped the fire spreading more widely through nearby grass.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 15, 2017 17:07 UTC