Mystery fire ravages iconic Wizard's historic home

By SCOTT MacLEOD

The Wizard paced back and forth on a chilly Christchurch street, warmed only by pyjamas, a blanket and the flames billowing from his historic home.

Inside, the books and treasures he collected during decades as a wizard and university lecturer were trashed first by smoke and flame, then by the powerful blasts of firemen's hoses.

The Wizard's partner, Alice, wept uncontrollably as the suspected arson attack wrecked the two-storeyed, 1880s home the couple had restored on Cranford St, St Albans.

It was the worst of days for the Wizard, who is a tourist icon and national celebrity, but he was able to draw some solace from his loss.

Although he was left with nothing but his nightclothes after the blaze, most of his belongings were insured.

And although he was shocked by the destruction, he was comforted by the kindness of police, firefighters, councillors and residents.

"We are thrilled at the good feeling we got from everyone," he said. "It was a mysterious occurrence."

One neighbour, Willy Buis, told the Herald of hearing vandals or thieves just hours before the blaze.

At 1.15am she heard what she thought was someone breaking into a car or van outside the Wizard's home. She looked out the window to see nothing, and went back to bed.

At 3.30am she woke to the blaring of a fire siren and dashed outside to see "flames and sparks" shooting from the roof of the Wizard's home.

"The Wizard was running around, he was talking to people, and walking back and forth, and his partner was crying and she was very upset."

Mrs Buis told the couple it was too cold to stay outside and invited them in for hot drinks.

The couple told her of being woken by noise, of finding smoke in a passageway, then dashing to the fire station just two doors away.

The 70-year-old wizard, Ian Brackenbury Channell, believed it was arson. The fire had started on a first-floor verandah near a gas tank. He had no enemies, he said, nor did Alice.

An assistant fire region commander, Mark Chubb, said it took four fire trucks 35 minutes to quell the blaze, which swept through both floors of the timber home.

Firefighters and insurance assessors were trying to salvage some of the books.

Yesterday the home was sealed off by tape as police, firefighters and forensic experts combed the debris for clues.

Sergeant Tony Tully of Papanui police confirmed the fire was suspicious. The home, with a hole in the roof and most of its windows blown out, was thought to be a write-off.