A man has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison for carrying out a series of arson attacks on rural land near Nelson.
Colin Geoffrey Hayball set multiple fires in the Glenhope area on three separate occasions, starting in February last year.
Police in Nelson have praised the Waimea Rural Fire Authority for both its firefighting efforts and the way it managed the fires, enabling them to gather crucial evidence.
Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy says Hayball's actions put the lives of firefighters at risk and the fires themselves had the potential to significantly affect the forestry industry in Nelson.
Police say the firearms, ammunition cache and drugs found in Hayball's possession compounded his risk to the community.
