A fire that destroyed a home in Kaikohe is being treated as arson and police are appealing to the public for information to help catch those responsible.

Police believe the fire on Monument Rd in Kaikohe on Saturday is suspicious, and are treating it as arson.

The alarm was raised about the fire, at 6.30pm, and fire appliances from Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Kawakawa attended the blaze.

Firefighters spent more than three hours at the scene putting out the flames. The rental property was unoccupied at the time of the fire, with the previous tenants understood to have left several weeks ago.

Police said as the investigation into the fire is ongoing, they are unable to go into further detail.

‘’We are asking the public’s help with our investigation, anyone who was in the Monument Rd area last Saturday between 5pm – 8pm, and saw anything suspicious, is asked to contact Police via our 105 phone service or online at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report.

“Please reference file number 230813/7124,’’ police said.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Meanwhile, it took six fire appliances around four hours to deal with a blaze that gutted The Baker Man in Coopers Beach on Monday night, but it’s not thought to be suspicious.

Fire and Emergency NZ said they received the first callout to a building on fire at Coopers Beach at 10.40pm on Monday.

When the first firefighters arrived the building – housing The Baker Man – was well ablaze, and it took about four hours to finally bring it under control and put it out. Six appliances from Mangonui and Kaitaia attended the fire.

A Fire Safety investigator was at the scene on Tuesday morning looking into the cause, but FENZ said at this stage it is not thought to be suspicious.

The bakers is likely to be out of action for some time, and several neighbouring stores, including the butchers and pharmacy, were also closed on Tuesday while the investigation was under way.