TowersStreet members began reporting a small fire around 8pm this evening which appeared to have broken out in the rear part of the ruins near to Driving School.
The area was cordoned off and two fire engines were sent to the scene as a precaution to extinguish the fire.
Sky News quickly reported the matter with a quote from Mark Kerrigan, operations director:
A smouldering firework was discovered at about 7.50pm in a turret at the back of the theme park’s Cloud Cuckoo Land area.
The park’s own security vehicle, equipped with fire fighting equipment, went to contain the situation whilst the fire services were called.
Operations director Mark Kerrigan said: “It is standard procedure at the end of every show for someone to check the entire zone in which fireworks would have fallen, so this vindicates the short delay that our guests experienced before we let them back on the rides.
“As a result of this discovery we kept the affected area clear of guests until Staffordshire Fire Services were able to extinguish the smouldering material.”
Further update to the Sky News article at 9:31pm…
A spokesman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said two fire engines and a ladder platform had been dispatched after embers strayed onto a roof.
He said: “We’ve got a quite small incident at Alton Towers. It’s just some embers in a roof from one of either the fireworks or the bonfire that they’ve had.”
The spokesman added that there were no flames or a burning fire at the resort in Alton, Staffordshire, which attracts hundreds to its annual fireworks event each year.
It is thought that the fire was small enough to not cause any damage to any attractions at the park, but further exact details of the damage have not yet been released.
Photos can be found of the small fire on our discussion forum here by EuroSatch.
We’ll bring you any further information on the incident as it happens.
