House fire being treated as suspicious - police

A house fire that sent smoke billowing across a Christchurch suburb on Monday is now being treated as suspicious, police say.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received multiple calls about the blaze at the Wilsons Rd South address in St Martins from about 11.45am on Monday.

Two fire crews responded but had finished at the scene before 2pm, a Fenz spokesperson said.

One residential dwelling was involved, the spokesperson said.

No one was in the building at the time of the blaze.

A fire investigator was due back at the scene today.

A police spokesperson said the scene examination was completed this morning.

“Police are following strong lines of inquiry in relation to a suspicious fire on Wilsons Rd South in St Martins yesterday,” the police spokesperson said.