Man charged over inner-city arson spree (The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 15 April 2008)

A 22-year-old man has been charged with a lighting a series of fires around central Wellington last night - including one in a historic church.

Police said the first fire was lit around 5.30pm against a boarded-up wall at the St James car park in Wakefield St. Fire officers extinguished the flames before much damage was caused.

The second fire was lit around 5.50pm inside a garage on Eva St, but the Fire Service again put it out quickly.

About twenty minutes later, St Peter's Church on the corner of Ghuznee and Willis Sts was broken into and a fire was lit near the altar. The church suffered smoke and water damage.

The Fire Service said if it wasn't for the sprinkler system, the church would have been razed.

Last night a 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with three counts of arson and one of burglary.

He is due to appear in Wellington District Court today.

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