Electrical fault probable cause of Minster stoneyard blaze

The blaze in York Minster’s stoneyard which could have led to millions of pounds worth of glass from the irreplaceable Great East Window being destroyed was believed to be caused by an electrical fault, officials revealed.

Canon Glyn Webster said the wooden floor of the burning offices could have collapsed on top of the medieval glass panels.

He added: “We don’t know the cause. The probability is electrical but that is not certain yet. We are awaiting the full and final report.”

He refused to be drawn on the exact cause but was able to rule out any connection with the lights on the Christmas tree in the fire-damaged offices.

The painstaking task of moving the glass from the Minster School and two workshops is to start today.

Canon Webster, who will be working with a small team of glaziers and staff from the stone- yard, said they could not afford to leave the glass where it was.

He continued: “When we took it out we just leaned it against walls or benches. We had to hurry because the fire service was very bothered the ceiling would collapse.

“It was just an old wooden floor in the office above and the glass was directly below. Apart from the fire the floor was sodden and could have collapsed that way.

“There was also a real danger of the water started to cascade through which was not good for the glass either.”

He said when the female fire officer dealing with the incident learned the priceless glass was inside her “stomach turned upside down”.

The stoneyard had been made secure and the glass was safe where it was but could not stay there beyond the weekend.

Canon Webster added: “At the moment some of the larger panels are in two workshops in the stoneyard. When the stoneyard boys return to work on Monday there would be priceless stained glass propped up to the work benches.

“It is also not the best way to store them because of the atmospheric conditions and frost. The other glass is in the Minster School hall and the children come back next week.

“So where we put the glass was very temporary, even though it is not coming to any harm.”

Today the team of glaziers and stoneyard staff will spend all day carefully putting all the glass in the Minster, in St Stephen’s Chapel. The chapel pews have been moved aside to make room for the purpose-built storage racks relocated from the stoneyard.

The long-term plan is to move the racks back to the stoneyard.

Canon Webster added: “But that is going to be a long time away. The offices are very badly fire damaged. It is going to be months before we are back to normal.”