A furniture removal trailer and its contents were destroyed in a suspected arson attack in North Dunedin early yesterday.
The Fire Service was called to Bank St, Northeast Valley, at 2.40am after reports of smoke coming from the trailer of a parked removal truck.
Detective Graham Ross said police were treating the incident as arson.
"These things don't just burst into flames by themselves."
The Conroy Removals truck-and-trailer unit was on a North Island-South Island run and the trailer, which was a third full, contained two deliveries: a household lot and kitchen items.
Det Ross said the fire had gutted the trailer and destroyed its contents.
It was likely entry was gained at the side of the trailer.
Nothing appeared to have been removed from inside, he said.
The driver of the truck, who was staying at a nearby motel at the time of the incident, referred any questions to the Napier-based company.
Managing director David Conroy said the unit had a value of about $60,000.
The unit and and its contents were insured, he said.
The Timaru and Ashburton customers were "devastated by what has happened", as was the experienced driver. People were at the mercy of "an element out there" who enjoyed destroying others' property, he said.
Southern Region fire safety officer Barry Gibson, who inspected the charred remains yesterday morning, said the fire was believed to have been deliberately lit.
The trailer's fibreglass roof meant the fire "was vented out the top", so fortunately the truck was undamaged.
The heat generated from the fire would have dispersed the fumes from the burning fibreglass resin into the air, he said.
There was no evidence a liquid accelerant had been used.
Anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area was urged to contact Dunedin police on (03) 471-4800.
