Police are investigating a blaze that killed two firefighters and a member of the public at an industrial and heritage park in Bicester, England. Photo / Getty Images
Police are investigating a blaze that killed two firefighters and a member of the public at an industrial and heritage park in Bicester, England. Photo / Getty Images
Police are investigating a fire at Bicester Motion that killed two firefighters and a member of the public.
The deceased are Jennie Logan, Martyn Sadler and David Chester; two other firefighters were seriously injured.
Tributes have been paid to the victims, with authorities emphasising the bravery and dedication of the firefighters.
Police are investigating a devastating blaze that killed two firefighters and a member of the public at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire, England.
Thames Valley Police said it was conducting an investigation into unexplained death regarding the cause of the fire at the Bicester Motion industrial and heritage park, alongside Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The firefighters who died were Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, of Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service. Sadler also worked for the London Fire Brigade.
David Chester, 57, a member of the public from Bicester, also died. Their families are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
Two further firefighters suffered serious injuries and were kept in hospital for treatment.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service paid tribute to the two firefighters, with a post on Facebook saying: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the names of the two colleagues who lost their lives dealing with a major incident in Bicester on the evening of Thursday, May 15.
“The firefighters who died are Jennie Logan of Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service and Martyn Sadler of Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue, who also worked as a firefighter for London Fire Brigade.”
These buildings were damaged by a fire at Bicester Motion in which two firefighters and a member of the public have died, with two firefighters also seriously injured. Photo / Getty Images
They added that if anyone wanted to lay flowers, Garth Park in Bicester would be open from 7.30am to 9pm.
David Long, Sadler’s cousin, wrote on Facebook: “Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming number of messages following the devastating loss of my cousin, colleague, role model and hero Martyn Sadler at the fire in Bicester last night.”
Bicester Motion, a Bicester-based business park, paid tribute to Chester, the third victim of the fire, on LinkedIn.
The company said: “And to Dave Chester, who ran Chesters & Sons, his family business, who has had a long history with the estate – indeed as man and boy.
“He joined us 12 years ago when we first bought the site and, with his wife and two sons, has been a pillar of our whole business community.
“We considered him a member of our team, part of the fabric of our estate, a daily presence and a friend to us all.”
The post added: “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.”
The company described the actions of the two firefighters who died as “the epitome of selfless service”, adding: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. They have gone above and beyond in unprecedented circumstances. No words can ever make up for what has happened, but they are all very much in our hearts.”
Ten fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the fire, which raged much of the night, while residents were told to stay indoors.
Starmer described the deaths as “devastating news”, adding: “The bravery of our firefighters is astounding. Hoping those in hospital make a full and swift recovery.”
Assistant chief constable Tim Metcalfe, of 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.”
Earlier, he said: “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 remains safe. The fire 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.”
Thames Valley Police said it was carrying out an assessment as to whether there was evidence of a criminal act.
Rob MacDougall, Oxfordshire’s chief fire officer, held back tears as he told of his pride in the dedication and bravery of his firefighters who had fought to bring the fire under control.
He said: “It’s with a heavy heart that today we report the loss of two of our firefighters. A member of the public has also sadly died in the incident.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer Rob MacDougall speaks to the media outside at Bicester Motion. Photo / Getty Images
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues affected during this time. I’m immensely proud and grateful for the exemplary multi-agency response and the unwavering bravery demonstrated by all the emergency service personnel.”
Historic England claims the airfield is “the most complete and strongly representative example of an RAF airbase” in Britain.
The former base had been turned into a hub for classic cars.
Part of the site was being developed as the home of Canoo, the US electric vehicle (EV) firm, and it was billed as providing a base for its commercial efforts across the UK and Europe.
Canoo had been planning to launch its fleet into Europe from the base, including the lifestyle delivery vehicle electric van – already used by Nasa, Walmart and the US Postal Service.
The EV maker said in September 2024 that the 180-hectare estate was chosen because of the “location’s history in automotive innovation”.
Construction had also begun at the Bicester Motion site last September on a new headquarters for Yasa, the Mercedes-Benz Group-owned electric vehicle firm.
Community mourns three lives lost in devastating Bicester fire. Photo / Getty Images
Following the fatal fire, Janine McKenna Jones, 48, described seeing “black ash” near her home.
She said: “When I got home, there was this massive black ash ... sort of smoke. They closed the road at some point in the evening and I think it was closed until maybe 5am because you could still see the flashing lights.
“It felt very apocalyptic, if that makes sense, because you see the sky and there’s this big black cloud of smoke.”
Jones added: “I just read about the deaths on the news and it’s just sad really. And it’s a shame because obviously it’s local people so it’s always a shame too when people lose their lives trying to help others.”
Kieran McGurk, a product director who lives opposite Bicester Motion, said he heard “multiple bangs” and saw a plume of smoke while out walking.
He said: “As we walked home and got closer to the smoke it seemed to get blacker and we heard the sirens.
“Multiple fire engines and police cars went past us. As we got to the corner at the bottom of the road, ash started to fall and you could see the sheer scale of what was happening.”
The flag of Oxford was lowered to half-mast over its town hall on Friday as a sense of grief swept over the city and county following the deaths.
Susan Brown, the leader of Oxford City Council, said: “This is a terrible reminder for us all that firefighters, as well as the other members of the emergency services, put themselves at risk on a daily basis, to protect us all. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude.
“We are deeply saddened, and our thoughts are with the family, colleagues and friends of those we have lost in this tragic incident.”
St Laurence’s Church, in nearby Caversfield, opened its doors to allow those mourning the losses to have “a space for private prayer or for stillness and reflection”.
Andy Roe, the London Fire Brigade commissioner, said: “We are devastated by the loss of our colleague, and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of all those impacted by this incident.
“We are working closely with our counterparts in Oxfordshire, providing support to the family and our crews affected by this tragic loss. Our sincere condolences go out to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service who also sadly lost a firefighter at this incident, with a further two colleagues in hospital.”
Floral tributes were laid on Friday afternoon by members of the public and some visibly upset mourners outside Bicester fire stations.
Among them was Phoebe Bowman, who saw heavy smoke about 7pm as she drove through the area.
Bowman, 19, said: “At first I thought it was the weather, as it was quite a foggy day, but then as I drove towards Tesco, I could just see there was really heavy smoke.
“Then I saw a fire engine racing along the road, and then another one, then police cars.
“It must have been around 7pm but the smoke was heavy, so it must have been burning for some time by that point.”
Witnesses reported a loud explosions and thick black smoke billowing from the site. Photo / Getty Images
She added: “It’s very sad. I come to Bicester Village shopping centre with my family quite a lot.”
Among others leaving floral tributes was Jamie Jessett, 29, whose school friend was one of the firefighters who worked tirelessly to control the blaze.
“It’s devastating news. My thoughts are with the families of all those affected going forwards,” he said.
Baroness Prentis of Banbury, the former MP, said she noticed an “unusual glow in the sky” as she returned by train to Bicester on Thursday night.
“I had no idea how catastrophic the effects would be until I heard the news this morning,” she said, adding that the deaths would be felt by the local community “very deeply”.
Prentis added: “I’ve obviously met firefighters in Bicester in the past and I know that they are embedded in the communities and are brave people who put themselves in danger in order to keep the rest of us safe.”
Anneliese Dodds, the MP for Oxford East, paid tribute to the firefighters as she spoke in the House of Commons.
She said: “Since I have been in the chamber, I have received some truly awful news that three people died last night in a fire in Bicester, including two members of the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
“The member for Bicester [Calum Miller, Liberal Democrat] has had to leave the chamber to liaise with those on the ground.
“We both want to take this opportunity, if I may, to convey our deep sorrow and solidarity with the families of those who have died, and our fervent and heartfelt best wishes to the two firefighters who remain in a serious condition.
“We’re grateful for their heroism and that of their colleagues when, as ever, they run towards danger to serve us all.”
