Another Chapel Fire- New Zealand

[ZealouslyStriving]

3 weeks in a row now...

‘Remain steadfast’: Chapel blaze under investigation | Stuff https://share.google/ezaTKlOxaTD7dhTTU

🙁

[Calm]

1 hour ago, ZealouslyStriving said:

3 weeks in a row now...

In a row?  Did I miss something last weekend or is my brain already asleep even if my eyes and fingers are moving?

[ZealouslyStriving]

8 minutes ago, Calm said:

In a row?  Did I miss something last weekend or is my brain already asleep even if my eyes and fingers are moving?

There was a fire at a chapel in Australia last weekend.

[Calm]

9 minutes ago, ZealouslyStriving said:

There was a fire at a chapel in Australia last weekend.

I was hoping you were going to say the spiritual blaze in the Conference Center last weekend.

[rpn]

Neither the Australian nor New Zealand ones have been called arson yet, or even any sort of hate.    Let's not call them a string until or unless they are.  

Also, Church facility leaders sent out a memo more than a week ago asking every building to do a thorough review of security and safety.   I won't be surprised if many of us have a fifth Sunday "evacuation" practice at some point.   I don't know whether any chapels chose not to follow the safety building codes (because being a church exempted them from them, in areas where that is done),  but those that did may need to do some rehab. 

We don't need to be scared, just prepared in a way we haven't thought of before.  It will be okay.

ETA:  The official advise emphasized this week by our leaders:  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/tools/help/church-security-resources?lang=eng

Edited October 12, 2025 by rpn

[Pyreaux]

On 10/11/2025 at 11:46 PM, Calm said:

I was hoping you were going to say the spiritual blaze in the Conference Center last weekend.

An LDS meetinghouse in Hebersham, Sydney, Australia, was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Monday, October 6, 2025, shortly after the Michigan attack.

As of the latest reports, the cause of the fire is unclear and remains under investigation by authorities. Arson is suspected by the public and the media because the fire was reported to have started in three separate locations of the complex, which has led to speculation it was intentional, though no official confirmation of arson has been made. News reports that suspect arson explicitly state that they did not say whether arson is suspected by the authorities.

https://gephardtdaily.com/local/fire-rips-through-lds-church-meetinghouse-in-australia/

Edited October 13, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Pyreaux]

Early morning on Sunday, October 12, 2025, the Te Hauke Church, near Hastings, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand.

The fire caused significant damage to the meetinghouse, with the main chapel area being engulfed in flames quickly. One report noted that the only item left untouched was a portrait of Jesus Christ...

No injuries were reported because the building was empty. All the members were watching the Church's semi-annual General Conference from home. The cause of the fire is under investigation by authorities. No official determination of arson has been made.

Similar to the fire in Australia, there is speculation in the community and media about the cause. The local community leader, Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber, stated, "I'm just like everyone else, wondering what happened" and commented on the timing in relation to international incidents, saying, "The church has been on edge... people are on alert around the world, it would seem. People are being emboldened by some of the rhetoric that's happening overseas, and we don't need that kind of behaviour here." This suggests a community fear that the fire could be linked to the events in Michigan and Australia, but this is a sentiment, not an official finding of motive or arson.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/te-hauke-hawkes-bay-church-fire-leaves-only-portrait-of-jesus-intact/GVRMEM3C3ZB47BJVXITQDJQTXE/

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/te-hauke-hawke-s-bay-church-fire-leaves-only-portrait-of-jesus-intact/

Edited October 13, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Pyreaux]

Double Incident: Mont-Dore, New Caledonia, Sunday evening, October 12, 2025. The same day that a fire significantly damaged an LDS meetinghouse in Te Hauke, New Zealand, Sunday morning.

New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Australia are located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, and while they are geographically connected in the broader context of Oceania. Though separated by a considerable distances of open water. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade describes New Caledonia as its "closest geographic neighbour in the Pacific."

The fire caused significant damage to the Church meetinghouse. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by local authorities.

Locally it is believed intentional because that this incident occurred amid a broader pattern of attacks against Catholic religious sites in New Caledonia. Since mid-July of 2024, there has been a documented trend of arson attacks against Catholic churches and missions in New Caledonia, including historic sites near Nouméa and on the Isle of Pines.

These attacks have been highly symbolic, with fires ignited in multiple locations (e.g., the altar and entrance) and in some cases, walls have been tagged. These earlier incidents were reportedly linked to rioters and unrest, and were widely condemned by local leaders as "intolerable" and "criminal irresponsible acts."

New Caledonia has experienced periods of civil unrest and violence, which have included buildings such as police stations and town halls being set ablaze.

While the cause of the Mont-Dore LDS meetinghouse fire is officially unknown, the timing and the recent history of church burnings and civil unrest in New Caledonia will likely lead to rumors and strong suspicion within the community that the fire was criminally motivated (arson), possibly connected to either the ongoing local unrest or the recent fires targeting LDS churches globally (in New Zealand and Australia).

https://news-pacific.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/fires-damage-church-meetinghouses-in-new-zealand-and-new-caledonia

Edited October 13, 2025 by Pyreaux

[bsjkki]

Smac and I once posted all the church arsons that occurred. It was way more than you would think. 

[bluebell]

18 hours ago, bsjkki said:

Smac and I once posted all the church arsons that occurred. It was way more than you would think. 

I was going to say that this probably isn't that unique of a situation (chapels burning down on consecutive days around the world), we are just more aware of chapel fires right now because of Michigan.

[Calm]

18 hours ago, bsjkki said:

Smac and I once posted all the church arsons that occurred. It was way more than you would think. 

Tried to find it, but the speed of the board frustrated me….several threads on suspicious fires and arson, vandalism, etc.