The three people who died in a fire at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire on Thursday have been named by police.
Firefighters Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, died after explosions were heard at Bicester Motion, a business park and former RAF base, Thames Valley police said.
David Chester, 57, from Bicester, was also killed, the force added.
In a statement on Friday evening, Thames Valley police said: “The families are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
“We have commenced an unexplained death investigation, led by our major crime team. This is currently not a criminal investigation, but we will follow the evidence as our inquiries continue.
“We will continue to have officers at the scene for a number of days to ensure the public remain safe.
“The fire and rescue service is still at the scene, dampening down the fire. Once the scene is safe, our investigators will be able to carry out inquiries at the location.”
Two further Oxfordshire fire and rescue service firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital, Oxfordshire county council has said.
Tim Metcalfe, assistant chief constable at Thames Valley police, said: “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 Jennie Logan of the Oxfordshire county council fire and rescue service, Martyn Sadler of the London fire brigade, and member of the public David Chester, who have died in this incident.”
Bicester Motion, home to more than 50 specialist businesses focused on classic car restoration and engineering, is located at the site of RAF Bicester, a former bomber station.
A spokesperson for the business park said everyone there considered Chester “part of the fabric of our estate and a friend to us all”.
Chester was the proprietor of a family-run fencing and groundworks company, Chester & Sons.
The Bicester Motion spokesperson said: “Whenever you had a question, you would ‘just ask Dave’, not just him but his whole family as they all cared about this place just as much as we do.
“Our whole community used to say that ‘Dave always had our back.’ Yesterday, he was doing just that – the epitome of his selfless spirit.”
People laid flowers at the scene on Friday. One bunch was left by a family with a note that read: “Sending all our love to those who lost their lives and to those who did not think twice about making that sacrifice to help others.
“Thinking of the fire service, their families, friends and the wider community and all those services who came to help. Rest easy.”
Floral tributes are seen outside Bicester fire station after a fire at Bicester Motion, the site of a former RAF base in Oxfordshire. Photograph: Emily Smith/PA
Another said: “Thank you for your service.”
Amy Angeletta said she had laid flowers out of a sense of community. “People have lost their lives and it’s quite a close-knit community here,” she said.
“It’s just to pay your respects. The area has a very lovely friendly atmosphere. At a time like this, it just feels like everybody pulls together.”
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A plaque had also been placed in the memory of those who died bearing the names of Oxfordshire fire and rescue service and Bicester Motion. It read: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the sad loss of two firefighters and the member of the public. Love from the Bicester community.”
Keir Starmer paid tribute to the two firefighters who died. “Devastating news,” he posted on X. “My thoughts are with their families and friends. The bravery of our firefighters is astounding. Hoping those in hospital make a full and swift recovery.”
Ten fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the fire, which started on Thursday at 6.39pm and prompted a major response and warnings for residents to stay indoors.
The fire was under control on Friday morning, the council said. Other support appliances remained on scene, including a hydraulic platform, a water carrier, a command unit and a high-volume pumping unit.
The commissioner of London fire brigade, Andy Roe, said: “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.
“Our thoughts are with all the families, friends, and colleagues impacted by this tragedy. We are doing everything we can to provide support to Martyn’s family and colleagues.
“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.”
Vikas Talwar, 40, who lives 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.”
Speaking of those who died in the fire, he said: “It’s so sad. It’s very heartbreaking. We have sympathy with the people involved.
“I can see there was a quick reaction by the fire brigade and ambulance teams when they came in. I saw the air ambulances in the air in the evening.”
