Maternity unit evacuated after fire broke out at St Michael’s Hospital yesterday

A fire broke out on the roof of St Michael’s Hospital yesterday at approximately 4:30 pm. The fire, which primarily affected the maternity unit of the hospital, necessitated the evacuation of pregnant women to nearby university buildings.

A large cloud of black smoke could be seen from across the city, as many took to social media in a quest to find out the source of the blaze. Avon Fire and Rescue Service posted on X at 4.50 pm: “We’re currently responding to a fire on Southwell Street, Bristol. We encourage people to avoid the area while we deal with the incident.”

We're currently responding to a fire on Southwell Street, Bristol.

We encourage people to avoid the area while we deal with the incident.

Further updates will be issued. pic.twitter.com/z0jc1fNRxy

— Avon Fire & Rescue Service (@AvonFireRescue) May 22, 2025

Fire engines and crews were sent to the hospital from 10 different stations.

The fire was contained to the roof of the hospital and no one was harmed. The fire was extinguished within half an hour, and the hospital was reopened by 7:00 p.m.

The service has since confirmed that the cause of the fire was a fault in the solar panels on the roof of the building.

Whilst no one was harmed, many pregnant women and newborn babies had to be evacuated from the hospital. Midwives were seen offering milk and fruit outside the hospital. One woman was evacuated just as her waters broke, reported the BBC yesterday.

Smoke seen from Park Street

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The St Michael’s Hospital maternity unit is one of the busiest in the city, with an average of 14 babies being born a day. Some of the mothers-to-be were evacuated to Bristol University’s Life Sciences building whilst the fire services tended to the blaze.

Prof Stuart Walker, hospital managing director for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, thanked “amazing staff” for their swift evacuation of the maternity unit.