Around 3,700 visitors were evacuated from the British Museum on the evening of September 18 after reports of smoke in one of the galleries, though not the one believed to house the Bayeux Tapestry. The London Fire Brigade was called to the scene at approximately 7.27pm after fire alarms and evacuation orders were issued.
Cause of the smoke
Fire crews conducted a systematic search of the building and determined that the smoke was likely caused by an overheating light. The all clear was given about an hour later, once the building had been inspected.
A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said: “Crews carried out a systematic search of the building to identify the source of the smoke, which is believed to have been caused by an overheating light.
“Around 3,700 people evacuated the building before firefighters arrived.
“The incident was over for firefighters at 19.27pm, when responsibility for the site was handed back to the building’s management team.”
Visitor impact
Many visitors had reportedly waited up to two hours to enter the museum earlier in the day, with the Bayeux Tapestry drawing larger crowds than usual. Several people took to social media to express their disappointment over the incident.
