Further security measures may be put into place in Dunedin after a property was set on fire by a flaming couch set over the weekend.

Police are investigating the offending, which happened during a large party on Castle Street, a well-known student area on Saturday night.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, says the university and other groups are already taking a hard line approach, and they might look further ways to address the problem.

"This kind of incident is exactly why the university and other agencies have been taking such a hard line on this kind of thing [which is] dangerous and in this case criminally stupid."

"Looking to the future we may need to think about CCTV cameras around the area. I know the university and the council have talked about that."

Cull notes that there's been an increasing amount of outsiders causing trouble, so nobody should assume students are to blame for the fire.

Sergeant Kane Shaw of the Dunedin Police said yesterday that it's time students grew out of the practice of burning sofas.

"When you mix alcohol and fire together, it doesn't make for a very good recipe. We ask that people just take common sense and just don't start fires with couches."