"Several people have been obstructing emergency workers in an attempt to take photos of the burning building. Please avoid the area and respect cordons - they are in place to protect you."
News Ryan Fahey and Billy Gaddi 10:35, 18 Apr 2025
An update has been issued by police after a huge fire ripped through a Grade-II listed World War One airfield. The blaze tore through the historic Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury causing huge amounts of damage with parts of the building collapsing through the night.
Shocking pictures from the scene show tall bright orange flames under plumes of black smoke as the fire ripped through the airfield. The director of the airfield said he is 'devastated' by the fire and hopes he hasn't 'lost' the building, reports the Mirror.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, as Wiltshire Police complained people had been obstructing emergency workers "in an attempt to take photos of the burning building". Local residents have been advised to keep windows and doors shut and stay inside as a precaution due to smoke in the area.
Grenville Hodge, the director of Old Sarum airfield, said: "We're absolutely devastated. We just won the planning appeal and the first thing we were going to do was repair the hangar. It's just unbelievable. Hopefully, we haven't lost it."
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The fire broke out at just after 6.30pm on Thursday as firefighters from Amesbury, Salisbury, Ludgershall, Andover and Ringwood worked together to tackle the blaze.
The fire service said Hangar 3 had partially collapsed and the flames had engulfed the adjacent restaurant and café. It is understood no casualties have been reported and it is unconfirmed as of yet the cause of the fire.
Paul McAuliffe, 54, and wife Svonne, 52, were sat outside the site at around 6.30pm when the fire started. Mrs McAuliffe said: "One of us looked over and noticed grey smoke coming out of the hangar. He (Paul) ran into the kitchen and told them the hangar was on fire.
"We’ve all had to stand and watch the hangar. The roof collapsed, and then the doors came down, and brought the brick walls down with it. It’s absolutely gutting." Mrs McAuliffe said the were 20 feet above the hangar.
Eloise Moore and her sister were alerted to the fire after their parents spotted the smoke. "I’m so devastated about the recent blaze that happened at the hanger earlier today. This was my first time experiencing a fire on this scale, and as a teenager, it will definitely stay with me for a long time.
"We were absolutely flabbergasted and was eager to keep up to date with every news story and followed the live found on your page. I hope the fire can be resolved and I have tons of gratitude towards the police and fire departments."
After a drawn-out planning inquiry, which began in February, the airfield operated by Old Sarum Airfield Ltd recently gained planning permission to build 315 homes and commercial and leisure facilities on the site.
The state of the hangar formed a key part of the debate at the inquiry, along with the proposed development's impact on heritage assets. When the government's Planning Inspectorate published its decision to grant planning consent on April 9, it said a condition of the approval was that only 160 of the dwellings could be occupied until repairs were made to Hangar 3.
In a statement released yesterday, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service warned local residents: "Due to the potential for unknown chemicals, please stay inside and keep your windows closed to avoid the smoke."
They also said: "Several people have been obstructing emergency workers in an attempt to take photos of the burning building. Please avoid the area and respect cordons - they are in place to protect you.
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"Enquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Anyone who was in the area shortly before the fire began, between 6pm and 6.30pm, is asked to contact 101 quoting log 262 of today's date (17/04)."
