Suspicious blazes in Christchurch, Nelson

It has been a busy night for firefighters in the South Island, with three properties suffering damage.

Emergency services were called to a suspicious blaze in the Christchurch suburb of Northcote just before 6am on Sunday.

Earlier in New Brighton, three crews battled a blaze with flames bursting through the roof of a building.

And in Nelson eight crews responded to a large blaze at a car sales yard. Firefighters protected a petrol station and a bulk gas storage facility as it spread to the car sales room and threatened nearby vegetation.

No one was injured in Saturday night's events, but all three will be investigated Sunday.