False Fire Alarm Offers Glimpse of Hobbit Set

While Sir Peter Jackson’s workers were enjoying a well-earned break for the Easter holiday, it seemed like the dragon Smaug may have been up to his old tricks.

Firefighters responded to an alarm on Saturday, and with the gates to the Miramar Hobbit set open, fans seized the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Middle-earth.

While security managed to block a Dominion Post photographer from taking pictures within the gates, two photos of the set have already surfaced online.

The photos depict an old house situated in front of a green screen.

While the Fire Service has signed a confidentiality agreement with Weta Workshop and Stone St Studios, Jackson’s spokesman, Matthew Dravitzki, said he believed the alarm to be a false one.

Sir Peter Jackson’s workers were scheduled to resume working yesterday.