Bristol fire: Blaze breaks out on science museum roof

Venue in Millenium Square evacuates staff and visitors

(Ben Haggitt)

A fire has broken out on the roof of a science museum in Bristol city centre.

We The Curious said staff and visitors were evacuated due to the incident on Saturday afternoon.

Videos posted on social media showed onlookers in the busy city centre watching as large plumes of smoke rose from the building.

Images showed the smoke billowing behind the Bristol Wheel, which sits next to the museum in Millenium Square.

Luke Gazzard from Avon Fire and Rescue Service told The Independent the fire had started just after 2pm on Saturday and was still ongoing nearly an hour later.

He said firefighters arrived within three minutes of being called. At around 3pm, there were around 40 firefighters on the scene to tackle the blaze on the roof, he added.

Surrounding buildings were also being evacuated as a safety precaution and nearby roads have been closed, Mr Gazzard said.

We The Curious said it evacuated the venue on Saturday afternoon following a fire alarm triggered by a fire on the roof.

It said all visitors and staff had been accounted for.