The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power set catches on fire near Windsor

Blaze marks the Amazon series’ second major on-set incident of the year

Firefighters have been called to the set of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Clouds of smoke were reportedly seen coming from Bray Studios near Windsor, UK, where Amazon is filming the second season of the Prime Video drama.

In a statement shared with Metro UK, Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 12:26pm on Monday, 3 April, we received reports of a fire at Bray Studios near Windsor. At this time, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Bracknell, Slough and Maidenhead Fire Stations have been sent to the scene.

“Upon arrival, crews discovered a fire in a single storey warehouse. Firefighters remain at the scene of the incident. Further updates will be provided when available.”

The Independent understands that an electrical fire broke out on the filming lot’s perimeter. The fire department responded and shooting resumed after pausing for about an hour. Neither cast nor crew had to evacuate the studio site.

Monday’s fire marks the second major incident to occur on set of The Lord of the Rings prequel series this year.

Just last week, the show faced criticism from animal rights campaigners after a horse died on set during rehearsal.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime Video)

A spokesperson for Amazon Studios said that the horse died of a cardiac arrest.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died,” the statement reads. “The incident took place in the morning whilst the horse was being exercised prior to rehearsals.”

According to a source who spoke to Deadline, the horse was standing near 20 other horses when its heart stopped.

The source also reported that after the horse collapsed, all surrounding cast and crew were asked to leave for 30 to 45 minutes while the body was removed.

The Rings of Power is the first major spinoff of the popular film franchise based on JRR Tolkien’s bestselling book series.

It’s reportedly the streamer’s biggest budget show – “a billion-dollar bet Amazon shouldn’t be allowed to make,” argued The Independent’s Louis Chilton.