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The two firefighters and member of the public who died in a huge blaze at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire have been named by officials.
Firefighters Jennie Logan, aged 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38 were both killed along with 57-year-old David Chester after a massive fire ripped through what is now the Bicester Motion business park at 6.30pm on Thursday.
Ten fire crews rushed to the inferno at the former RAF Bicester – where several businesses now restore classic cars and planes – and workers were evacuated from the scene, as neighbours reported multiple explosions and clouds of dense black smoke.
In a statement on Friday evening, Thames Valley Police said the families of the two firefighters and Chester were being supported by specially trained officers.
Police said both firefighters worked at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) and Sadler was also part of the London Fire Brigade. He was described by the capital’s fire chief as a leading member of staff on retained duty in Oxfordshire.
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The force has launched an unexplained death probe but it is “currently not a criminal investigation”, assistant chief constable Tim Metcalfe said.
Mr Metcalfe added: “This is an absolute tragedy and my thoughts and the thoughts of everyone at Thames Valley Police are with the families, friends and colleagues” of the victims.
The head of the London Fire Brigade, Commissioner Andy Roe, said Sadler “exemplified courage and selflessness”, adding: “We are devastated by the loss of our colleague and friend.
“This is clearly an incredibly difficult time for us all; we have lost a well-respected and much-loved colleague who exemplified courage and selflessness in the service of others.
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“It has been an incredibly challenging day for the UK Fire and Rescue Service. This incident highlights the high-risk nature of the service we provide every day.”
Two further OFRS firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council previously said.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Marjorie Neasham Glasgow, said the King would want to “pass on his sincerest condolences to all those affected”.
Members of the public started to lay flowers and tributes at the scene of the fire on Friday, including a handpicked bunch of daisies and written messages, while a group of schoolchildren also arrived to pay tribute at the scene.
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Bouquets were laid under the Bicester Motion sign outside the former RAF base where a heavy police presence remained in place.
A handwritten note read: “Thank you for your service. Our hearts are with the services and families.” The note featured hand-drawn pictures of an ambulance, police officer, doctor, and firefighter.
Another card read: “Our hearts have broken for the loss of two heroes. All our love and prayers.”
With his voice breaking and appearing to fight back tears, Oxfordshire’s chief fire officer, Rob MacDougall, told reporters at the scene: “I am immensely proud and grateful for the exemplary multi-agency response and unwavering bravery demonstrated by all the emergency services personnel.”
An electrician who was one of the first people at the site of the fire described how fire brigades “poured in” to the site amid thick smoke. Fatih Ozzoksel, known as Ozzy, said he saw “massive plumes of smoke” from his garden on Thursday night and went straight to the site.
“The smoke was unreal, I couldn’t breathe,” the 54-year-old owner of Ozzy Engineers told The Independent. “There were explosions that just wouldn’t stop for at least an hour and a half. One sounded like thunder, I think it was a roof collapsing.”
Mr Ozzoksel said he “had never seen anything like this” in his life, adding: “I feel so sorry for the people who lost their lives. Their bravery was unreal they were literally pouring in.”
Kieran McGurk, a product director who lives opposite the site, said he heard “multiple bangs” and saw a plume of smoke while out walking.
Bicester resident Janine McKenna Jones, 48, described seeing “black ash” near her home following the fatal fire. “It felt very apocalyptic, if that makes sense, because you see the sky and there’s this big black cloud of smoke,” she said.
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Historic England claims the famous airfield is “the most complete and strongly representative example of an RAF airbase” in Britain. Having served as RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War, it ceased to be a military site in 2004.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the three deaths as “devastating”, adding: “The bravery of our firefighters is astounding. Hoping those in hospital make a full and swift recovery.”
Describing the firefighting community as “heartbroken”, Sherine Wheeler, chief executive of the Fire Fighters Charity, told BBC Radio Oxford: “It’s very rare and tragic to have the loss of two firefighters alongside a member of the public and I think the impact of that is being felt deeply.
“For a lot of people who serve in the fire service it brings the reality of the risks they hold crashing home.”
Additional reporting by PA
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