Pregnant women and babies evacuated after fire breaks out at maternity hospital
22nd May 2025
New mums, babies, and pregnant women were evacuated this afternoon, after a large fire broke out at a maternity hospital.
At 5.45pm this evening (Thursday 22nd May), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that they were responding to an incident at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol.
The BBC reports that a large fire had broken out on the roof of the hospital. Speaking to the BBC, Matthew Burden said that his wife was in labour with their third child when the fire broke out. He explained: “I went out to get some food, came back and obviously the alarm went off.
“They said all partners had to leave. Everyone was going down the fire exit quite fast.
"When we came out I saw black smoke, all up in flames.”
At 7.00pm this evening, Professor Stuart Walker, Hospital Managing Director of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, issued an update on the fire: “Following a fire incident at St Michael’s hospital this afternoon, we can confirm that the fire has safely been extinguished.
“Thank you to our amazing staff who worked closely with the fire service to partially evacuate the hospital.
“The hospital, including the delivery suite, has now reopened to women who need to access our services and people with appointments tomorrow should attend as planned.”
Avon Fire & Rescue Service also updated the public and said they were called to the hospital following “reports of a fire on the roof of a hospital involving solar panels.”
The fire service confirmed that no one was injured in the fire and that the fire brigade remains on the scene.
A full investigation will now take place to establish the cause of the fire.
