Arson suspected after fire at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town

Arson is suspected after a fire broke out in the basement of St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town in the early hours of Sunday.

In a social media post, the dean of the cathedral, Rev Michael Weeder, said the fire was an “act of arson”.

“It appears that a lit piece of cotton/gauze was thrown through the small, barred window near the steps leading up to the cathedral’s Wale Street entrance. Someone was spotted running away from the cathedral,” Weeder said.

He said the burglar bars had to be broken so the firefighters could gain access.

“The cloister area door also had to be broken open as at one stage the firefighters thought the fire was actually inside the cathedral. A police docket has been opened and an investigation is in progress,” he said.

“I received an early morning WhatsApp note followed by a phone call from one of our cathedral wardens, Catherine de Jong, that there has been a fire in the basement of the Wale Street section of the cathedral.

“Franklin James, the cathedral administrator, after being alerted by CCID, got there just after 2am. He was there with the fire brigade.”

Weeder said an assessment showed there was no discernible damage done. “Though the basement still needs to be accessed.”

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said an emergency call regarding smoke coming from the basement of the St George’s Cathedral was received at 1.52am.

“As per the officer on scene, the person who needed to open the church had to come from Pinelands to open the doors. Eventually, permission was given to break one of the steel bars to gain access to the basement where the rubbish was burning,” he said.

Carelse said the fire was extinguished at 3.54am. “No damage to the structure was incurred,” he said.

TimesLIVE