Significant fire at nuclear submarine shipyard

Two hospitalised as fire breaks out at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness

On Wednesday 30 October at 00:44, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) received reports of a fire at a BAE Systems site in Barrow. Responding with a total of 15 appliances over the course of the incident, CFRS personnel tackled the significant blaze as the main building facility, Devonshire Dock Hall, was evacuated of up to 300 people working on the night shift.

Two members of BAE Systems staff were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, but were discharged later that morning and no other casualties were reported.

The site is the second-largest indoor shipbuilding complex of its kind in Europe, and sees the construction of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet. In a multi-agency communication issued by Cumbria Local Resilience Forum, it was confirmed that there was no “nuclear risk” from the fire.

The current Vanguard-class submarines were built at the site, with current construction of their Dreadnaught class replacements, as well as one Astute-class vessel, currently underway there.

Local residents and drivers were advised to keep their windows closed in the vicinity of the site and a nearby road was closed during the duration of the fire, which was suppressed by mid-afternoon. Speaking to the BBC, one resident described seeing “a lot of black smoke”, with video taken from the scene showing thick smoke issuing from the hall.

Cumbria Police confirmed that they were working with CFRS and the Ministry of Defence and investigations as to the cause of the fire now underway. According to the Financial Times, defence sources have said “some sort of industrial accident or equipment failure”  is being looked at as the possible cause rather than any deliberate criminal or sabotage act.