Fears Royal Marines Museum would catch fire after blaze erupts nearby
Firefighters were called back to the scene after the fire was put out
Plumes of black smoke were seen high in the sky amid fears the Royal Marines Museum would catch fire after a blaze erupted nearby.
Firefighters from Southsea were called to a fire that started in derelict barracks by Eastney Esplanade shortly before 4.45pm on Saturday.
Around 20m x 5m of grass and shrubland was extinguished by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using multiple hose reel jets. A stop message was received at 6pm before fire crews were called back to the scene after further outbreaks.
A fire service spokesperson said: “A crew returned to the scene at 8.50pm for a re-inspection and found three small deep-seated fires. After they were extinguished, thermal imaging camera checks were carried out, which confirmed there were no further signs of fire.”
The incident led to concerns in the area with one local saying “plumes of black smoke got quite high in the sky” before adding: “Could you imagine if the Royal Marines Museum had gone up?”
The cause of the fire is unknown.