Police in Nelson believe a fire which badly damaged a kindergarten overnight was deliberately lit.
The fire started in a couch on the verandah of the Waverley kindergarten in Richmond, spreading into the building and causing some structural damage before it was extinguished.
The kindergarten is closed on Wednesday and it may be days before it can re-open.
Police say a hutch on the verandah containing a pet rabbit was moved before the fire started. The rabbit was not hurt.