Preliminary cause of deaths of three people who died in horror blaze at ex-RAF base in Bicester are revealed

Daily Mail​

27-05-2025

Two firefighters and a member of the public died after part of a building collapsed during a horror blaze near Bicester Village, police believe.
Martyn Sadler, 38, Jennie Logan, 30, and businessman David Chester, 57, were killed after a fire engulfed Bicester Motion - a former RAF base - on May 15.
Initial findings from the post-mortem examinations show that all three people died from multiple traumatic injuries.
Two other firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital in a stable condition.
Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray said today: 'Our initial investigations suggest that all three sustained injuries in line with those typically caused by the collapse of part of a structure.
'We will make no further comment on the post-mortems' preliminary findings,' he added.
'This remains an unexplained death investigation and is being led by our Major Crime Unit, who continue to work with fire investigators and the Health and Safety Executive to ascertain the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the sad deaths of Jennie, Martyn and Dave.'
Around ten fire crews rushed to Bicester Motion to tackle the blaze in a warehouse at around 6.40pm on May 15.
The former RAF base is now home to over 50 specialist businesses, which focus on classic car restoration and engineering.
Eyewitnesses described seeing thick 'black' smoke in the sky from as far away as Oxford on the night of May 15 and hearing multiple loud explosions.
Vikas Talwar, 40, who lives in a housing estate near Bicester Motion, could see the fire from the street corner outside his house.
He said: 'There was a lot of smoke yesterday. Lots of people were gathering here on the corner but a lot of smoke was coming out.
'There was flames on the roof, on the top of the roof, and a huge big cloud of smoke in the air. I could see it from this corner near my house.'
Julie Stocker saw the flames from her bedroom window and described the deaths as 'devastating'.
The 46-year-old, who lives across the road from Bicester Motion, said: 'We could hear the crackle of the fire and then obviously the various explosions and stuff.
'(The smoke) was going very high. It was a mixture of white smoke and then really thick black smoke.
'We were praying that obviously no one was injured, but sadly that's not the case. It's devastating.'
Mr Sadler was a firefighter for Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue Service but also worked with the London Fire Brigade.
In an emotional tribute, Mr Sadler's grieving family last week said he was 'born to be a firefighter'.
'Coming from a strong fire service family it was always in his blood, but it was significantly more than that with him, it was his life,' they added in a statement released by police.
'The passion and dedication he had for the job was outstanding.
'From as early as he learnt to walk and talk, his days were filled with episodes of Fireman Sam or London's Burning and as soon as he was old enough to join the fire cadets his career began.
'He achieved way beyond his dreams and nothing would ever put a bigger smile on his face.
'He was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and all-round family member, an amazing friend, a committed colleague and the true definition of a hero.
'Our world has fallen apart and our hearts are completely broken, but somewhere in amongst it all we are immensely proud of him and his unwavering bravery.'
Ms Logan's family also paid tribute, describing her as a 'force to be reckoned with'.
'When Jennie's pager went off, there was no stopping her,' Ms Logan's mother, father and sister Emilie said in a joint tribute.
'Never did we think that when running out the door last Thursday, to give it her all, like she always did, it would be for the final time.'
Mr Chester, from Bicester, died after helping fire crews 'without hesitation', his family said in a tribute.
'Dave was always known as the man you went to when you needed any sort of help. This is exactly what happened on Thursday evening, he saw firefighters needing assistance and helped without hesitation,' they said.
'He was not a victim but a hero, he died the way he lived - helping others and putting them ahead of himself.
'Although he is no longer with us, he will always be in our hearts and his legacy will continue.'