A large fire broke out at a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in west England on Sunday morning. In recent months, it was used by the US to launch operations against Iran, and was recently the target of anti-war protests.
According to the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, crews were called to RAF Fairford shortly after midnight on Sunday.
“The fire involved a single-story industrial storage building. It was brought under control safely and there were no casualties,” the service said in a statement.
Videos circulating on social media show a large blaze above warehouse buildings visible from the street, with an enormous plume of smoke rising up into the night sky.
Major fire reported at RAF Fairford overnight, a British airbase hosting a sizeable forward-deployed contingent of USAF bombers for Iran strikes.The fire reportedly gutted a commissary building. pic.twitter.com/cveufpjC1t
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 26, 2026
RAF Fairford houses USAF B52 and B1 bombers, and serves as a key European operations center for Washington. Hundreds of anti-war protesters rallied outside the base on Saturday, demanding that the UK shut down military facilities used in the war on Iran.
🚨 BREAKING: Major Fire at RAF Fairford No Link to ProtestA large fire broke out early Sunday morning April 26 2026 in the Fairford area. Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue crews are at the scene of a commercial building blaze with heavy smoke reported.Social media images suggest… pic.twitter.com/sjnFs7EQl6
— Cat Brown 🏴🚜🇬🇧🏴🇮🇪 (@MrsBr0wn_82) April 26, 2026
Authorities said preliminary data suggests the blaze was accidental.
However, last week, a deliberate attack on a US military plane took place in neighboring Ireland.
A man was arrested after he intruded into Shannon Airport and damaged a US Air Force C-130 Hercules with a hatchet. He was arrested and charged with criminal damage, according to local law enforcement. No motive has yet been announced.
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