Around 3,700 visitors were forced to leave the British Museum in London on September 18 after a fire alarm was triggered by an overheating light, disrupting crowds that had queued for hours to see the Bayeux Tapestry. The London Fire Brigade confirmed the incident began at approximately 7.27pm following reports of smoke in one of the galleries.
Smoke traced to overheating light
The smoke originated in a gallery not thought to house the Bayeux Tapestry, but it activated fire alarms and led to the full evacuation of the site. Fire crews conducted a systematic search of the building and identified the cause as an overheating light. The all-clear was issued an hour later, with responsibility for the site handed back to the museum's management team.
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." The spokesman added: "Around 3,700 people evacuated the building before firefighters arrived. The incident was over for firefighters at 7.27pm, when responsibility for the site was handed back to the building's management team."
Visitors express frustration after long queues
Numerous visitors reportedly queued for up to two hours to gain entry to the British Museum on the day of the incident, with the Bayeux Tapestry drawing larger-than-usual crowds. Many turned to social media to express their disappointment. One visitor wrote: "Hope everyone's ok [at the] British Museum after the evacuation for a fire alarm. Disappointing for those of us who spent an hour and forty minutes after our ticketed time queuing to see the Bayeux Tapestry to reach it, and then were told to leave."
Another frustrated visitor added: "1.5hrs in a queue and now just evacuated from Bayeux Tapestry and British Museum. So upset!" A third recounted: "I was at the British Museum when they started shouting 'Emergency!' and 'Fire!' and hustled us all outside!"
Museum reopens after safety checks
The evacuation disrupted a major attraction that has drawn thousands to the museum since the tapestry's display. The London Fire Brigade confirmed that the incident concluded at 7.27pm, after which the building was handed back to the museum's management team. No injuries were reported, and the museum resumed normal operations following the safety checks.
