Arson suspect arrested

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 232, 23 February 1988, Page 3

Arson suspect arrested

"Senseless destruction" w a s how army officials described suspicious fires that gutted S t George's Church and ripped through the Weir Terrace child care centre in the early hours of Thursday morning. The Waiouru Fire Brigade received five emergency calls in a short space of time. Three proved to be hoaxes. It was during a follow-up to one call by Military Police that the fire in the child care centre was discovered. At that time both appliances were battlLng to contain the fire at St George's Church in the Army Camp. Fire completely gutted the chapel and associated offices while the centre suffered damage to 25 percent of its structure. A 16-year-old Waiouru girl was taken in for questioning after the fires and, on Friday morning, arrested and

charged with arson. No one else is being sought, said Waiouru Police Constable Keith O'Donnell. Both fires were reported to have been started with burning newspaper. Waiouru, Taihape and Ohakune police are working in conjunction with Wanganui and Ministry of Works' Fire Safety Officers to help with the investigation. Padre Ken Baker, chaplain of S t .

George's Church, could only stand and watch as fire consumed the building built in 1939 - one of the original structures of the camp. Lost in the blaze were a collection of theological digests of great personal value to Padre Baker. "They would have been worth several thousand dollars, if they were able to be replaced," he said. Along with the books, other personal possessions were lost. An assessment of the

remains of the building is still to be made to determine whether there are any items salvagable. , Until the site is cleared and the church rebuilt, a church in the residential area will serve the needs of the hundreds of soldiers and their families who attend Sunday worship and counselling. The St Boscoe's Church Hall will be the temporary venue for the child care centre until the building is refurbished.