A fire that broke out at a landmark Invercargill church this evening is being treated as arson, police say.
The small blaze at St. Mary’s Basilica, in Tyne St, was extinguished by crews using a bucket of water.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said they received reports of a fire at a church at about 5.10pm today.
Two appliances were dispatched.
"When they arrived they found a small fire and used a bucket of water to extinguish it.
"They were then using a fan to clear the smoke."
Crews were alerted to the fire early enough that it was still small when they arrived, the spokesman said.
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."
A member of St. Mary’s Basilica confirmed the fire occurred at the church.
It was built in 1905 and designed by famed Dunedin architect Francis Petre.
