End of Winterfell? Game of Thrones season 8 on-set fire teases major plot twist and another battle

The Northern kingdom is going to be the centre of all conflict when warring armies march to the realms of Winterfell in season 8.

With production on the eighth and the final season of the hit HBO series starting in full swing, fans have caught a devastating moment from the sets in Northern Ireland – and it might be the key to a major plot twist.

As it turns out, the set erected in Belfast, which also happens to be the castle serving as the massive Winterfell and home to Sansa, Arya and Bran Stark, was set ablaze.

The inferno was caught on cameras by fans, who in turn took to social media to share the pivotal moment with GoT loyalists.

While Winterfell being burned to the ground is a shocking enough plot spoiler, it has also emerged that the massive fire was not an accident or an isolated scene, but part of another enormous battle sequence.

Almost 400 to 500 extras were used during the filming of this scene, and according to dedicated fan website Watchers On The Wall, this battle could be as major as the Battle of the Bastards from the sixth season.

After the dramatic events of the last season, Game of Thrones is all set for an intense face-off – with Queen Cersei and her followers on one side, the Night King and his army of dead on the other side; and Mother of the dragons and Jon Snow teaming up against all odds.

In this current conflicting situation, however, the North and Winterfell have also emerged as key spots, where all the action might go down in season 8.

However, if Winterfell is reduced to ashes, the Starks are bound to suffer the greatest blow, having recently recaptured their home from the clutches of the Boltons. So, what prompts this massive fire? Is it the work of Viserion, the ice dragon brought to life by the Night King or has Cersei marched to the North to exhibit her wildfire skills?

Fans' best bet is to wait until 2019 when Game Of Thrones premieres its final chapter. The eighth season consists of only six episodes and is the last season sealing the fate of Westeros.