A man in New Caledonia has been sentenced to one-year home detention for assaulting firefighters and wrecking their truck last year.
A grass fire between Queenstown and Arrowtown has been tackled. Photo: Photo / AFP
The criminal court in Noumea also ordered the 52-year-old man to pay $US1000 to three volunteer firefighters.
Reports say if he refuses to pay, he will have to go to prison.
The man objected to the firefighters entering his property to fight a blaze, which could only be tackled from his place.
He used a machete to chase them away and smashed the truck windows, and chopped up the fire hose.