Dean of Dunedin the Very Rev Dr Tony Curtis said a fire at St Paul’s Cathedral was sad news to wake to before dawn this morning.

“This was not the start to the week that I wanted. But thanks be to God no one was hurt.” he said.

Speaking outside the Cathedral cordon this morning, Tony said that although the blaze had grim potential, once the sun came up there didn’t appear to be any structural damage.

“There are holes in the roof, and the sanctuary, main nave aisle and front pews are drenched - there’s a lot of ash and water damage.” he said

“There’s going to be a lot of cleaning up to be done.”

But Tony said that while the fire’s left a mess, it’s not anything like the fires in the cathedrals of Paris or Nantes.

“And it’s nothing in comparison to what our brothers and sisters in Christchurch have had to deal with.”

Dean Tony said he was grateful for the fire service team’s rapid response, which made all the difference for St Paul’s.

"It wouldn't have taken long at all for it to spread, and we don't have sprinklers in the roof."

When Tony Curtis got to St Paul’s at 4.20am this morning, he found the fire crews from Dunedin City Station had swiftly contained the blaze.

The fire had taken hold in the Cathedral’s apse roof, which is in the newer sanctuary extension added to the 1919 stone nave in 1971.

Senior fire station officer Robbie Torrance reported that when pinex-backed ceiling panels beneath the slate roof had caught alight the water needed to extinguish them had waterlogged the pinex which will now fall apart. That means the central fan-shaped portion of the apse ceiling and roof will need to be replaced.

Beneath the flaming roof, both parquet flooring and the sanctuary carpet were covered in ash and pitted with burn marks, then thoroughly waterlogged during the night’s events. At midday today, the Cathedral crypt remained flooded with water leftover from the firefighters’ work.

Bishop of Dunedin Steven Benford was shocked to hear his cathedral was on fire early this morning.

“It is very sad this has happened.”

“We say that it is the community of believers who are the church, not the buildings.

“But these buildings are precious to us too. They look after us and we need to look after them.”

Bishop Steven has been heartened by the genuine care and collegiality he has seen from within his diocese and around the province today as so many people got in touch.

Messages of support have flowed in from further afield, among them were Cathedral deans from around the country and Tony’s former Diocese of Newcastle. 

Mayor of Dunedin Aaron Hawkins and Deputy Mayor Christine Garey were also quick to pledge the Council’s help, recognising that Cathedral parishioners' spiritual home is also one of the city’s most prominent heritage buildings.

St Paul’s Cathedral Director of Music Michael Grant arrived early today and was relieved the Cathedral’s 100-year old pipe organ that sits aloft the sanctuary seemed to have avoided major damage.

But unfortunately the organ which has only been out from under scaffold since Friday, after months of restoration work looks to have suffered water damage to the blower circuitry and to some pipes.

Two more instruments usually housed in the burn and drenching zone – the Cathedral’s harpsichord and its recently acquired $23,000 grand piano – had already been moved out of harm’s way while new skylights were being put in.

Dean Tony’s aim this week is to get the Cathedral back in service for the big celebration planned for Sunday, even if the worship space won’t be quite as they expected.

“We are going to look at the logistics to see how quickly we can get back up and running.” he said

“If it’s possible and it’s safe, we will go ahead with a service at the Cathedral, but in a slightly different way.”

On Sunday Rev Dr James Harding will become a clerical canon, Rev Brian Kilkelly a priest assistant, and Dean Tony’s own daughter Ziva is all set for her confirmation. Tony says Ziva was perhaps the hardest person to share the news with today,

“Ziva is really looking forward to her confirmation service on Sunday.”

“But I’ve told her that whatever happens, we’re going to make sure she can stand up and make her commitment this week.”

As for the longer term, Dean Tony is glad to have the backing of a great team at the Cathedral as they move ahead onto the next stage.

Their aim from this point is clear,

“Our priority is to make sure the building is safe for people to come to worship, and to carry God’s love into our parish, our city and out into Otago and Southland and beyond.”