Fire at Cunningham House in Botanic Gardens Under Investigation

On April 26, 2026, around 7:40 in the morning, police were called here to the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch because of a fire. It was at Cunningham House, which is actually closed right now because it's being restored.

The police confirmed that the building itself was damaged by the fire. Someone sent in a video that showed burnt pieces of plastic wrapping. They didn't report any injuries, which is good.

Right now, the police are saying the fire is unexplained, and they're trying to figure out what happened. So, if you see more police around, that's why—they're still looking into it.