Arjun Menon
Fire Breaks Out at Exeter City Stadium
An investigation is underway after a fire caused damage at Exeter City‘s St James Park stadium. The blaze started in an electrical unit around 22:00 GMT on Wednesday, spreading to a temporary building housing the club’s medical and control rooms.
Firefighters from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue extinguished the fire by midnight, using ventilation fans to clear the smoke. No injuries were reported, and the club thanked members of the public for alerting authorities to the incident.
The fire service initially dispatched three crews, later sending two more as flames threatened to spread to one of the stands. Firefighters used breathing apparatus and hose reel jets to contain the blaze. Thermal imaging cameras were employed to identify hotspots and assess the damage.
A spokesperson for the fire service stated,
There was a lot of smoke logging under the stand, but fire damage itself was quite limited to that area.
Read also: England vs Serbia Prediction: 13.11.2025 FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualification 2026
Assessing the Damage
Exeter City manager Clive Harrison expressed concerns over the damage to cabling and electrical work, which are crucial for the club’s operations. He noted that the structural damage was minimal but emphasized the importance of repairing the control room in time for the next home match.
The club’s next scheduled home game is on November 22 against Burton Albion. The fire caused an evacuation alarm to sound, disrupting nearby residents, for which the club apologized.
Exeter City released a statement saying,
We will be assessing the damage today and will update when we have more information. Thank you to the members of the public who reported the incident and for the fast response of the fire crews who brought the fire under control preventing further damage.
Impact on Matchday Operations
BBC Radio Devon’s sports presenter James Vickery reported from the stadium, noting the damage to the electrical station behind the control and medical rooms. He highlighted the critical role these facilities play in matchday operations, stating,
You can’t run a football match without a medical room and also a control room as well.
Vickery added that the fire’s timing was fortunate, as the club had an away game scheduled for Saturday, allowing them to focus on repairs without the immediate pressure of a home match.