Passions aren’t the only things burning on the set of the bodice-ripping Netflix series Bridgerton.
On Wednesday afternoon, a stately home that appeared as a location in the hit drama was also ablaze.
It took 10 fire crews to quench the flames that tore through an outbuilding of the Wrotham Park Estate in Hertfordshire, better known to fans of the show as Aubrey Hall.
The building was used to film scenes for season two of the Regency-era period drama.
Eight fire engines were called to the historic country house in South Mimms at 3:35 p.m. as billowing smoke and towing flames came dangerously close to the main building.
Footage from above the mansion show huge flames and smoke billowing from an outbuilding next to the estate’s main house
Wrotham Park Estate, better known to Bridgerton fans as Aubrey Hall, the backdrop of intrigue and romance in the series
Large billows of smoke were seen rising from the historic building, which is regularly used as a filming location for popular Netflix series Bridgerton
Firefighters are seen tackling the blaze at the Wrotham Park Estate in Hertfordshire this afternoon
The Wrotham Park Estate is pictured during an emotional flashback scene in the latest season of Bridgerton
Around eight fire engines and 40 firefighters have been in attendance at the blaze since 3.35pm
Huge flames have erupted inside an outbuilding in close proximity to the historic site in Hertfordshire
‘Eight fire engines are in attendance to a fire at an outbuilding at the Wrotham Park Estate,’ a spokesperson for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue said. ‘The outbuilding is still ablaze but is now under control’
Helicopter footage showed red-hot flames shooting skyward and billowing smoke that could be seen for miles around as one-story bring building used as the stables caught fire.
‘We have currently got 8 pumps and around 40 firefighters in attendance at a fire on the Wrotham Park Estate near Potters Bar,’ Simon Tuhill, assistant chief fire officer, said.
‘Colleagues from the London Fire Brigade are also supporting.’
It’s unclear if this will affect the filming for season three, currently underway for the wildly popular period drama, which spent three weeks as the number one show, according to Nielsen Media Research.
It is Netflix’s top series and can be seen in 92 countries on the streaming platform.
Rege-Jean Page rides a horse in the grounds of ‘Aubrey Hall’ – aka the Wrotham Park Estate in Hertfordshire
Jonathan Bailey strikes a pose during filming of Bridgerton in the Wrotham Park Estate, which suffered a fire in one of its outbuildings this week
The lush gardens of the Wrotham Park Estate make a perfect backdrop for the period drama
The real-life Aubrey Hall, where characters in Bridgerton playout their drama, caught fire on Wednesday
The Bridgerton family pose in front of Aubrey Hall, a real-life estate called Wrotham Park, which caught fire on Wednesday
The Shondaland series uses the home’s sweeping lawns and lush English gardens as the backdrop to gossip, intrigue and love.
The outdoor settings came in handy when the contemporary pandemic made outdoor filming a necessity due to Covid restrictions.
The neo-Palladian mansion was designed and built by English architect Isaac Ware in 1754 for Admiral John Byng – an MP who served as a captain in the navy.
This isn’t the first time that fire struck the estate.
Wrotham partially burnt down in 1883, but nothing of note was destroyed and the interiors were restored using a more modern Victorian building technique.
Wortham Park – which has been used as a filming location more than 60 times – is recognizable thanks to its grand deck overlooking the gardens.
The home has also been the backdrop for the films Bridget Jones’s Diary, Gosford Park, The Crown and Downton Abbey.
It’s also held very high-profile celebrations, including the wedding reception of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece to Marie-Chantal Miller in 1995 as well as the 2006 wedding to Cheryl and Ashley Cole.
