Furniture and rubbish fires in ''infamous'' North Dunedin streets kept fire crews and police busy at the weekend.
Before travelling to Dunedin for a wedding, Sian Moran, of Martinborough, was advised to see the student quarter.
''I was told to visit the infamous Castle St and I wasn't disappointed,'' she said while photographing the charred remains of a mattress, couch and chairs.
The daughter had called her mother early yesterday asking to spend the night at the family home because she was in the flat alone and furniture was burning on the street outside.
A Fire Service southern communications spokesman said firefighters from Dunedin Station were called to a ''suspicious'' rubbish fire in Clyde St at 8.21pm on Saturday.
Then Willowbank station firefighters began a busy night when called to a ''large'' suspicious rubbish fire surrounded by ''150 students'' in Castle St at 11pm.
Around midnight, a Willowbank crew attended couch fires in Leith St, Castle St and on the corner of Castle and Howe Sts.
At 12.52am, the Willowbank crew were called to a lounge chair fire in Dundas St and minutes later a couch and mattress fire at Gore Pl.
When a Dunedin Station crew arrived at a car fire in Magnet St at 4.15am yesterday, it was ''well involved and looked to be deliberately lit,'' the Fire Service communications spokesman said.
Sergeant Ben Butterfield, of Dunedin, said three students were arrested in connection with ''fire-related offences''and would appear in the Dunedin District Court later this week.
Police were concerned with the ''foolish'' behaviour.
''Generally, it had been a pretty good year and it was very disappointing that some students decided to end the year on this note.''
Willowbank Station Senior Station Officer Craig Geddes said it was ''frustrating'' the station had to attend seven furniture fires.
''Mainly chairs and couches and anything they can get their hands on, really. A few end-of-year parties were going on - the usual antics that waste our time and tie up our resources unnecessarily.''
But several of the revellers were not University of Otago or Otago Polytechnic students, he said.
''There's probably a fair majority within that group that don't get involved in the university or polytech at all, but come along and crash the party to be part of the culture.
''Dunedin ratepayers should not accept it as normal for crews to extinguish fires and contractors to clean them up next day.
''We babysit students and clean up after their drunken parties - and allow them to get away with it. The cost is borne by the community and the ratepayer which, in my opinion, is extremely unfair.''
Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) president Francisco Hernandez said, from Wellington yesterday, he was ''gutted'' students were involved with the fires.
''So far this year OUSA and other services have felt students have been awesome and really found the balance. Any students caught would be facing punishment via the proctor or the courts. I hope it doesn't have any effect on the graduation opportunities of the culprits.''
University of Otago acting vice-chancellor Prof Richard Blaikie said behaviour that endangered the safety of others and deliberately damaged property would not be tolerated.
