Two people have been charged after allegedly starting a fire in Pigeon Valley near Wakefield in Tasman today.
A man, 34, and a woman, 24, have both been charged with arson.
Local contractors alerted police just after 2pm after seeing two people acting suspiciously in a Upper Moutere forestry block.
Police officers and dogs, firefighters and a helicopter were all part of the chase to apprehend the suspects, who were taken into custody near Sunrise Valley Road.
The fire was approximately 3x3 metres in size and was able to be extinguished before it took hold.
The pair will appear in Nelson District Court on Thursday.
The man has also been charged with arson over a fire that started on the side of the Moutere Highway last week.
That fire caused extensive damage to a wide area of pine forest and resulted in the evacuation of local residents.
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