Alton Towers fire alert as rollercoaster queue evacuated due to alarm

A generic picture of Alton Towers - one ride was reportedly evacuated on Saturday September 14
-Credit: (Image: PA)


An Alton Towers ride was evacuated this afternoon when a fire alarm began blaring. People were ushered away from The Wicker Man rollercoaster on Saturday, September 14.

The popular Staffordshire attraction said nothing of concern was found by technical teams on site. Bosses insisted the safety of customers was their number one priority.

The Mirror said guests near the ride appeared concerned during the drama. Some reportedly had to leave their belonging behind as they vacated the scene.

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One eyewitness said: "No one [was] allowed near it. Entire paths [were] cleared [and] no one was allowed to get their bags."

The £16 million ride was opened in the spring of 2018 and is one of the theme park’s only wooden roller coasters. It is constructed with treated wood which inhibits fire ignition.

But it had to be evacuated earlier this year in an unrelated incident. In July, Alton Towers said crews attended after smoke was seen rising from the rollercoaster.

It was thought the smoke was caused by a foreign object. Bosses said at the time that crews followed well-rehearsed procedures to quickly resolve the issue.

In response to the latest incident, an Alton Towers spokesperson said: “Following the activation of a fire alarm our teams followed normal procedures. Nothing of concern was found at the ride following our investigations.

"Our technical teams are working to reset the fire alarm. The safety of our guests is our number one priority. We paused the ride and evacuated the queue line as is our standard health and safety procedure.”

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