Barrow submarine shipyard hearth as ‘flames fill night time sky’ at BAE Systems

A fire has broken out at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness with residents saying they have been evacuated.

One person said on X: “Yeah barrow Bae systems is on fire. Some Wednesday night Jesus Christ” while another wrote: “So BAE is currently on fire. That’s kinda worrying.”

Another claimed: “Been evacuated a while ago because of the fumes.”

Images and videos posted online show flames and smoke filling the night sky at the headquarters of BAE Systems Submarines in the Cumbria town, where nuclear submarines are made.

Photographs show flames roar from or near BAE Systems, a shipyard at Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH). It is believed to have started at approximately 12.45am on Tuesday.

BAE in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, leads the design and manufacture of the Royal Navy’s Astute and Dreadnought submarines.

In January BAE Systems said they needed to add 5,000 workers to their 12,000 workforce due to winning a £3.95bn ($4.82bn) contract to build a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines.

It will commence construction of SSN-AUKUS subs later this decade.

One man who lives nearby said he heard “a big thump” at around 2.30am.

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