Raging fire blankets RAF airbase in thick smoke as locals warned to 'keep windows closed'
Crews from four fire stations rushed to the RAF Brize Norton area to fight a huge fire that is billowing out 'toxic products' into evening skies over Oxfordshire
A massive fire has broken out near to the UK's largest RAF airbase, which employs around 5800 military personnel, with an urgent warning to the public over "toxic products" that are billowing out into the night sky over the base.
Members of the public have been warned to avoid the area due to the toxic chemicals emitted by the smoke plume.
Local residents in the villages surrounding RAF Brize Norton have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed for their own safety.
This key RAF base sits along the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire border and is home to some of the air service's largest planes like the Airbus A400M and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
RAF personnel at the base work to keep Britain and its allies' aircraft in the skies, as the main operating base for air-to-air refuelling.
The huge fire is believed to have been caused by a massive pile of burning tyres, which are responsible for the toxic fumes.
Crews from nearby fire stations rushed to the scene of the blaze on Wednesday evening (April 30), which took hold near the village of Bradwell.
There are four teams of firefighters working into the night in an attempt to quell the blaze and douse its toxic plume.
However, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has cautioned that the incident will likely continue into the dark hours of Thursday morning.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement: "Ongoing incident. Crews from Burford Fire Station, Carterton Fire Station, Bampton Fire Station and Faringdon Fire Station are dealing with a large tyre stack fire near the village of Bradwell.
"Residents South and Southwest of this including into Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service's area of Lechlade are advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the toxic products within the fire plume.
"This incident is likely to protract through the night so please bear with us at the time."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Press and Journal
3 days ago
- Press and Journal
Auldearn foster family: The ups and downs of giving 20 kids a loving home
Moray and Karen Ford's first foster placement was a three-year-old girl they looked after for two weeks. They put her shoes on wrong, weren't sure they'd be 'good enough' and cried when she left. But since then, the Auldearn husband and wife have looked after about 20 children – and Moray, 62, even gave up work to be a stay-at-home dad. From emergency placements to three permanent additions to the family, they have seen a lot. Moray has two grown-up biological children from a previous marriage, James and Lesey. But while he was in the RAF, he had 'a certain male operation', as he puts it, that meant he and Karen, who married in 2008, couldn't have a family of their own. Almost two decades ago, they bought a house in Auldearn, near Nairn, and did it up. At this point, Moray was working offshore. He would be away for weeks at a time and Karen was on her own 'with all these rooms'. Karen, 56, said: 'It was something we just sat and talked about.' Moray continued: 'We didn't apply to adopt because adoption was permanent. And what happens if, after a year or so that the child doesn't actually like you? Or it wasn't for us? 'The process of adoption is really good, but sometimes it doesn't work, you know?' So several interviews later, and the Ford were ready for their first new arrival in 2011. In their case, their first child was a three-year old girl with mismatched shoes. Karen took up the story: 'Within a couple of weeks we had a a wee girl of three. She was the very first one we got.' The first hiccup they encountered was reassuringly mundane – and a little bit funny. Karen, who works at Brodie Countryfare, laughed: 'She came in the Friday, and I was working the weekend, and Moray came to my work with the wee one. 'He'd put two different shoes on her.' But just two weeks later, the little girl's stay with the Fords had come to an end. They expected it to be a short stay, but didn't anticipate the sadness it caused. Karen added: 'It was hard letting her go. We just got that wee bit attached. After the wee girl, the Fords had a break of a few months. They then had a six-year-old girl for a year and a half. But the weekend she arrived, they also had a last-minute request for an emergency placement for two more children. Moray said: 'I just said yes, of course. I didn't think about it. 'So they arrived – I think they were three and one – the wee girl was already here and Karen was working the weekend. 'I don't think we've ever said no to anybody.' Apart from a stint as a porter in Dr Grey's and then Raigmore during Covid, Moray fell into the role of stay-at-home dad. Over the years, Moray and Karen reckon they have had about 20 kids through their doors – and they obviously remember all of them. There was the wee boy Luke (more on him later) who arrived with assurances he was a vegan – but asked for a cheese and ham sandwich for lunch and a roast chicken dinner. And the six-year-old girl we already mentioned – when she finally left they admit they were 'greeting at the door'. After that, they generally had longer-term placements. Although Karen and Moray opened their homes and their hearts to every child who needed it, some of them were destined to stay for good. Dylon recently turned 21 and Moray is his legal guardian. He is at college and lives at home. They adopted Sky, now 19 and living in Wales with her boyfriend. The next step will be formally adopting Luke, 11. They have a theory, although it's probably not as simple as that – it's all down to the lucky number nine. Karen explained: 'Nine seemed to be the age for a while. We got Dylon when he was nine, and Sky too.' They have lovely stories about their kids. In April 2013, Dylon arrived. Moray said: 'He was like a wee old man when he came – he had slippers and a dressing gown and would sit cross-legged. 'I just said to my social worker, this is the only thing that's missing is a pipe. 'It wasn't like other boys, he'd never played football and stuff like that. He went to coffee mornings.' Dylon has ADHD and finds it hard to remember things – but he's now thriving at college. Moray became Dylon's legal guardian. He wasn't up for adoption, but he took the family name. Luke (who was the reluctant vegan I mentioned earlier) also came along at the age of nine. To prepare for his arrival, Moray found out what the schoolboy was into – it was dinosaurs. So he went out and got a sticker for his door that read 'Luke's room' illustrated with dinosaurs. He and Karen also added dino bedding and curtains. Luke has recently made an important decision. Moray said: 'There is a social worker MairiAnna Birse who did life stories with Luke. 'We came to the very last session and Luke said I want Moray and Karen to be my mum and dad.' As Karen and Moray talk me through the list of children they have helped, cared for and made feel safe, even if only for the odd weekend, one thing is clear. The tone of their voices and the look in their eyes as they count children off on their fingers – all named – shows how much love is in this house. They are calm and easy going, nothing fazes them – perfect people for being foster carers. But if it reassures anyone, they weren't at all confident when they started out. Moray said: 'At the beginning we worried if we were good enough for this.' Karen added: 'Every child has their challenges, but we always seem to cope.' Moray said: 'We very quickly realised that giving them reassurance as soon as they came in the door was the key. 'It's so important to have patience and understanding. The children are scared, they've been passed from pillar to post.' Moray urges anyone who feels they can to come forward and help. He added: 'It's so rewarding to see them succeed. 'I'm so glad we did it – it's been great.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
RAF Lightning fighter jet fired up after 18 years in Lincolnshire
A Cold War fighter jet, which spent the majority of its service at RAF Binbrook, has been fired up for the first time in 18 XR724, was designed to intercept Soviet bombers and first flew on 10 February 1965. The aircraft, which was retired in 1991, has been undergoing a five-year restoration project at the site near Market engineer Chris Johnson, who was in the cockpit when the 60-year-old plane was started, said: "Getting this old lady running again after so long being idle is going to feel great." Mr Johnson said his team is hoping to fix the aircraft's top engine by the end of next public run of the engine is due to be carried out an open day on 6 September. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Former RAF officer from Cardiff becomes Tower of London Beefeater
A former RAF Warrant Officer from Cardiff has been selected as a Yeoman Warder (YW) at the Tower of Harris served in the RAF for more than 36 years, during which time he was deployed for tours to Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Cyprus. Nicknamed Beefeaters, it is a position introduced by Henry VII in 1485 to help guard the fortress and YW Harris is thought to be the first Welsh Beefeater in more than a decade. YW Harris described his appointment as an immense honour, and said he was "extremely proud to represent Wales". As one of 35 who live and work at the tower, YW Harris said he has enjoyed settling into his "quirky new home within the tower's vibrant community". He said he left Cardiff in 1988 and has worked at stations all over the UK with the RAF, but it means an "awful lot" to him to be able to represent the national heritage."At the end of my career it's great to be allowed to continue the historical elements of service life," he said. Describing what it was like to put on the uniform, YW Harris said you just "cannot imagine" the feeling. "It was immense" he said, adding it was "such an immensely proud moment". "I have a lot to learn and will be focused on learning the tower's history and legends before I am ready to share these with our visitors, so the next few months are going to be incredibly exciting."Part of the criteria for becoming a YW is a minimum of 22 years' service with the military, to hold the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and to have reached the rank of warrant officer or equivalent, before being selected for the coming months, YW Harris will learn "the story" – the script of the famous Yeoman Warder tour, in verbatim, before he can lead his own tours of the Tower of London. He will also be required to learn the 21 separate duties conducted by the Yeoman Body each day, including the Ceremony of the Keys, a closing ceremony that has taken place every single night for at least 700 years.A devoted sportsman, YW Harris is known to be a supporter of Welsh rugby, Cardiff City FC, and the Cardiff Devils Ice Hockey club, having coached the RAF Ice Hockey team to four successive inter-service championships during his previous career.
