Fire Interrupts Filming of Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ in the U.K.

A fire broke out on the U.K. sets of Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Monday, causing a brief interruption of the production. The incident occurred at Bray Studios in Windsor, where the filming of the series’s second season is currently taking place.

Details of the Fire Incident

According to reports, plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the site in the afternoon as an electrical fire broke out in a warehouse on the perimeter of the backlot. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service immediately responded to the incident, and filming was halted for about an hour. After the fire was put out, filming resumed quickly, and no cast or crew members had to evacuate the studio site. As a precautionary measure, filming was paused, and everyone remained at Bray before returning to work.

Further information regarding the incident was provided by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which stated to the U.K.’s Metro newspaper. “At 12:26 pm on Monday, April 3, we received reports of a fire at Bray Studios near Windsor. At this time, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Bracknell, Slough, and Maidenhead Fire Stations have been sent to the scene. Upon arrival, crews discovered a fire in a single-story warehouse. Firefighters remain at the scene of the incident. Further updates will be provided when available.”

Previous Incident on the Sets

This is the second incident to occur on the show sets this year. On March 21, a horse suffered a cardiac arrest ahead of rehearsals, leading to the cancellation of filming for that day. Amazon Studios released a statement on Sunday morning confirming the situation.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died on March 21,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “The incident occurred in the morning while the horse was exercising before rehearsals. The trainer was not in costume, and filming had yet to commence. A veterinarian and an American Humane Association representative were present at the time. The independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of cardiac failure.”

Overview of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Based on the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Amazon Prime Video last year and is reportedly the most expensive television series ever made. The fantasy series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of the Lord of the Rings films and the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. It follows an ensemble cast of familiar and new characters confronting the long-eared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

The series’s second season is expected to stream in 2024, and the production has moved to the U.K. for this season after filming the first one in New Zealand.