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.”
