Police treating four fires in Christchurch's Port Hills yesterday as suspicious

Police are appealing for information in relation to four suspicious vegetation fires in Christchurch early yesterday morning.

Emergency services were alerted to the fires in Port Hills at around midnight, police said.

There were reports a flare was seen at the time of the incident.

The fires are being treated as suspicious.

Police would like to hear from anyone in the area who saw anything suspicious between just before midnight and 2am.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police on 105, quoting file number 201209/8549, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

It's not the first time police have investigated a suspicious fire in the area. 

In February 2017, firefighters spent weeks fighting massive blazes in the Port Hills. A helicopter pilot died after his aircraft crashed while fighting the fire. 

Nearly a year later, the final causes of the fires were classified as "undetermined" by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

"The lack of physical evidence or being able to interview anyone responsible has made it very difficult to determine the cause and origin conclusively," Fire and Emergency officials said at the time. "However, Fire and Emergency New Zealand believes both were deliberately lit and the matter remains in the hands of the police."

And in March 2019, officials made a similar request to the one issued today, for information from witnesses after a large fire broke out at Coopers Knob in the Port Hills.