The Wardman Wire

The Cutty Sark Fire

These are the elements of the story as I have them:

• The Cutty Sark has been damaged but not destroyed, and more of the fabric of the ship has been preserved than might have been expected for a night time fire in a largely wooden ship.
• A large amount of the timber from the ship was away for restoration as part of a large conservation project.
• All three decks are salvageable.
• The masts, rigging, and all the fittings had been removed as part of the conservation project.

London Fire Brigade

Comments from an interview with a spokesman for the London Fire Brigade:

• The Initial call came in at 04:46.
• The first crews were on the scene at 04:50.
• There were gas cyclinders at the site, which gave initial cause for concern.
• Cylinders were not on board, but it took 45 minutes to confirm that there were no hazards to the crews.
• It took 90 minutes to bring fire under control. I am not clear yet whether that was in addition to the 45 minutes above.

Investigations

There is thought to be a strong possibility of a suspicious cause of the fire.

Wrap-up

In conclusion, it looks like quite a fortunate escape.

I will put out another roundup at 10:30am GMT, and then each hour on the hour.