Three young people will be referred to Police Youth Aid after a second small fire was discovered at a school in Wainuiomata on Saturday.

The fire was started in a pile of wood at St Claudine Thevenet School, but did not take hold, said Police.

Earlier in the day, a classroom at Pukeatua Primary School, also in Wainuiomata, was destroyed by fire which police are treating as arson.

However, they do not believe the two fires are linked and have made no arrests in connection with the Pukeatua fire.