Timaru police are looking for an arsonist after three suspicious fires were lit in quick succession early this morning.
Fire Service shift commander Andrew Norris said fire fighters responded to a call to a building by a swimming pool on McDonald Street at 4.40am.
He said the building was badly damaged, and just as that was extinguished, fire fighters were alerted to another fire in a car on the same street.
"They dealt with that with no problems. However shortly afterwards they were alerted to a fire in a car directly over the road from that fire, and one of the crews dealt with that.
"And shortly after that, they became aware of some wheely bins on a neigbouring property that had also been ignited."
The police were investigating this morning's fires, and two small fires in a nearby street yesterday morning.