Social media posts feature images and videos of smoke rising from BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness and fires.
In addition, Cumbria Police had warned local residents to “remain indoors” and “keep doors and windows closed” even though there was no nuclear risk.
The incident was described by 36-year-old Donna Butler, who lives next to the shipyard: “My son came and got me and said that the BAE alarms were going off.”
“When I opened the front door, we just saw a lot of black smoke… really thick black smoke, and it was very loud,” she told the Pittsburgh Tribune.
