Suspicious beach fire investigated

Police are investigating the cause of a suspicious fire at a Christchurch beach in the early hours of Friday morning.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at New Brighton beach, south of the pier, just after 4am this morning.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said the blaze started in the tussock and had grown to 3m by 4m by the time firefighters arrived.

It was quickly put out, he said.

The incident is being treated as suspicious and the details have been passed onto police, said the spokesman.