A small fire on board a Royal Navy vessel at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth has been extinguished, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
We were contacted earlier today by a reader who lives near HMNB Devonport.
A Navy spokesperson said: “The Fire Brigade extinguished a small fire onboard a Royal Navy vessel earlier today. They have now left the Naval Base. There was no significant damage, and routine operations continue as normal.”
HMNB Devonport is the Royal Navy’s largest naval base and a key centre for maintenance and refit work, particularly for the surface fleet and nuclear-powered submarines. The site regularly hosts Type 23 frigates, amphibious ships and Astute-class submarines, alongside vessels in extended maintenance periods across the dockyard.
While any fire involving a naval vessel draws attention, small incidents of this kind are not particularly uncommon in busy dockyards. With multiple ships and submarines alongside at any one time, often at different stages of maintenance, there is a constant presence of engineering activity, including welding, grinding, electrical work and fuel system checks, all of which carry some inherent fire risk.
Industry safety guidance reflects this reality, treating fire as a routine hazard in shipbuilding and repair settings where “hot work” takes place near materials, fuels and confined spaces. The expectation is not that incidents never occur, but actually that they are detected quickly and contained before they can escalate.
A source familiar with naval engineering operations told the UK Defence Journal that this reflects day-to-day conditions in dockyards. “You can have multiple ships and boats alongside, all with work going on at once. The odd small fire isn’t unusual.”
No details have been provided on which vessel was affected or the cause of the fire.
HMNB Devonport in Plymouth is the largest naval base in Western Europe and has supported the Royal Navy since 1691, operating as a vast, highly industrial site spanning more than 650 acres, with around four miles of waterfront, 25 tidal berths, five basins and 15 dry docks used to maintain and refit warships and submarines.
It serves as a major home port for surface ships and a central hub for training and fleet readiness, while also acting as the UK’s sole site for nuclear submarine refit work. The base employs thousands of service personnel and civilians, supports hundreds of local businesses and contributes a significant share of Plymouth’s economy.
I think you need to count the number of dry docks again – I can find 9 in total that are still usable.
They were probably counted by Healey 🙂
With his numeracy skills he will be a shoe in for Chancellor….