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Wimbledon Evacuated After Fire Alert

An estimated 3,000 people have been ordered to leave Wimbledon's grounds following a fire near Centre Court.

An announcement was made by the All England Club that anybody inside the premises should leave immediately, and according to eyewitnesses, "fire alarms were blaring".

There was no disruption to any scheduled tennis matches, as play had ended for the day.

However, it did interrupt a news conference being held by Serena Williams in the media centre adjacent to Centre Court.

The London Fire Brigade quickly responded to a small blaze in a stadium plant room - and about 25 minutes later, it tweeted: "Game set and match. The fire at #Wimbledon2015 tennis club is now under control."

Earlier during the second day of play, another incident was reported on Court One - but according to tournament officials, this was just a drill.

A Wimbledon spokesman explained: "The cause of the evacuation was not immediately clear, amid suggestions it may have been caused by an electrical fault."

Wednesday was the hottest day of the year in Britain so far - and in nearby Kew Gardens, the Met Office recorded temperatures of 35.7C (96.3F).

The heat did get the better of one ball boy, who needed to be sent to hospital for a precautionary check-up after collapsing on Court 17. He is expected to make a speedy recovery.

St John's Ambulance treated 170 people over the course of the day, and the majority were suffering from heat-related conditions.