Tourists are evacuated from Palace of Versailles as fire breaks out in roof

A fire has broken out at France's historic Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Paris, prompting staff to order a mass evacuation of tourists.

Shocking footage shared to social media showed trails of white smoke emerging from the roof of the immense 17th century palace located in its namesake town some 10 miles from the heart of the French capital.

French media reported that a fire alarm was triggered in one of the buildings and alerted staff who promptly called the emergency services.  

Firefighters descended on the chateau early this afternoon to extinguish the blaze as tourists and staff members flooded out of the storied building and into the sprawling gardens that surround it. 

Clips showed hundreds of unsettled visitors flooding the courtyard outside one of the buildings as the firefighters entered the building to locate and extinguish the flames.  

A palace spokesperson confirmed at 3:30pm that a fire had broken out but said firefighters had managed to get the blaze extinguished. 

'Firefighters came. There is no more smoke, no more flames and there is no damage to the collection. 

'The incident was quickly brought under control and the public was evacuated as a safety measure. 

'The Castle and gardens are now open,' the statement said. 

The Palace, built in the 17th century for King Louis XIV, was the main royal residence until the French Revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy in 1789.

It is one of France's most popular tourist destinations along with the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral and the Louvre.