One member of the public and two fire fighters have died at a fire at the UK’s Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire, in one of the former aircraft hangars that’s used to store vehicles and spares. It’s thought that another two fire fighters have been seriously injured.
The fire is understood to have started just after 6:00pm on Thursday May 15, 2025, with nearby residents describing thick smoke, ash falling from the sky and “loud explosions”, according to the Bicester Advertiser. Helicopters were seen flying over the site, and people living nearby were warned to keep doors and windows shut.
Ten fire crews plus ambulance and police vehicles were all seen racing towards the massive site, the historic part of the Bicester Motion complex.
The fire has destroyed Building 79, one of the two smaller hangars on the site, used for storage of vehicles – not to be confused with the larger Historit storage hangar (108) or the large events hangar (113), which are unaffected. Building 79 can be seen on the left-hand side of this map from a 2022 event at the site, showing that the hangar is a short distance from the surrounding buildings, which are understood to be unaffected.
At around 9pm on May 15 Bicester Motion issued the following statement: “Further to the incident which has happened at Bicester Motion, emergency services have been called and are attending on site. We appreciate the concern from local residents and wish to communicate that the company is working with the emergency services and a further statement will be made as appropriate.”
An updated statement was issued by Bicester Motion at 1.34am on Friday May 16: “Further to the incident this evening, we are grateful to the community for their kind words and support. We continue working closely with the emergency services. At the direction of the emergency services, the site will be closed on Friday 16 May and over the weekend. A further statement will be made as appropriate.”
A short video on the BBC website shows the extent of the blaze.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyven03y0go
Bicester Heritage opened in 2013 as a hub for the UK’s classic car movement, on the site of a former RAF bomber base that had been neglected for almost 40 years. The derelict historic buildings have gradually been restored to house many of the world’s leading classic car specialists, with further new buildings added to the site.
With the expansion came a new name for the wider business, Bicester Motion, encompassing new developments for technology and modern automotive businesses. It’s one of the UK’s great success stories, attracting major automotive manufacturers and specialists, and holding successful events such as the Scramble and Flywheel.
