The USS Drum, a near-70-year-old decommissioned submarine based at the Battleship Parkway in Mobile, caught fire Friday, resulting in thick smoke inside the hull of the vessel and the surrounding park.
Fire crews responded at a little after 5 p.m. and evacuated civilians before successfully extinguishing the fire, according to Mobile Fire and Rescue.
On scene crews were able to ventilate toxic smoke and gas while bringing the fire under control.
MFRD said the fire was accidental, stemming from a welding incident. The USS Drum is a museum vessel and is undergoing constant refurbishment and repair.
The USS Drum has been located at Battleship Parkway since being towed there from Norfolk, Virginia, in May 1969.