A fire broke out at the SS Great Britain today (Friday, December 17) forcing the evacuation of all visitors and tourists on the historic ship.
Firefighters were called to Bristol harbour where the ship is docked at 12:57pm today, and it was extinguished at 2:56pm.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service sent five crews and a turn-table ladder, and have confirmed that there were no injuries in the incident.
LIVE UPDATES: Fire breaks out on historic SS Great Britain
A spokesperson for the SS Great Britain Trust said that smoke was detected in the fo'c'sle area of the ship during welding repairs (hot works) which triggered the fire detection system.
The fo'c'sle, also known as the forecastle, is the forward-most area of a sailing ship on the upper deck. It was named as such as it is the area before the first mast of the ship.
All visitors and staff were evacuated as fire crews responded to the incident, and the incident was confirmed to be over at 2:56pm this afternoon.
The SS Great Britain say they will be closed for the rest of the day, but will open as normal tomorrow for their pre-Christmas events and tours.
A spokesperson said that there is "minimal damage in a small, contained area of the ship", and thanked Avon Fire and Rescue service for their "very swift" response.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the SS Great Britain Trust said: "Smoke was detected in the fo'c'sle while controlled hot works were taking place. Everyone is safe and there is minimal damage in a small, contained area of the ship.
"We are incredibly grateful to Avon Fire and Rescue for their expertise and very swift attendance.
"We will be fully open tomorrow for the Victorian Christmas Weekend with falling snow guaranteed. Old Father Christmas and a cast of Victorian characters will be welcoming visitors outdoors for a safe, fun day out. The ship and both museums will be open. Some timeslots for the weekend can still be booked at ssgreatbritain.org.
"Essential welding repairs (hot works) were being carried out in the fo'c'sle. This work is a known risk, and the Trust’s comprehensive fire detection procedures have prevented damage."
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