Southland parish counts blessings after basilica fire

A small blaze at the basilica on October 10 was extinguished by fire crews using a bucket of water. A fan was then used to clear the smoke.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said they received reports of a fire at a church at about 5.10pm. Two appliances were dispatched. Crews were alerted to the fire early enough that it was still small when they arrived, the spokesman said.

Parish priest Fr Gerard Aynsley said “someone” had gone up into the church choir loft and lit a fire in a filing cabinet that was filled with sheet music. A parishioner smelled the smoke as she was praying in the church at the time. She told Fr Aynsley about it.

The priest said it was fortunate that the fire was detected and that the church did not go up in flames. Had the parishioner not gone in to pray at that time “we might not have been going to lock it up now and it would have been in full flames by now”, Fr Aynsley said.

They were “very, very lucky”. Nonetheless, the incident was annoying, he said.

“We do have the church open every day for people to come in and pray, so you want to think that it’s being looked after.”

A Police spokeswoman confirmed they were treating the fire as arson. “Anyone with information that could assist our enquiries is asked to contact Police via 105, quoting event number P064082366.”

FULL STORY

‘Lucky’ escape for church after likely arson (By Tim Scott/Otago Daily Times – subscription required)

Police treating fire at landmark Invercargill church as arson (Otago Daily Times)