Date: 23rd April, 2025
Wednesday 23 April – We are receiving a lot of queries about the cause of the fire. This is a complex investigation and we are continuing to work with Wiltshire Police to establish what caused this fire. We will of course update the community as soon as we are able.
Below is the timeline of our involvement on site:
We were called at 6.38pm on 17 April to Lancaster Road, Old Sarum to reports of a fire involving a partially derelict listed hangar. Crews from Amesbury, Salisbury (x2), Ludgershall alongside crews from Andover and Ringwood initially attended, along with a crew and aerial ladder platform from St Mary’s (Southampton).
8.30pm: The building had partially collapsed and the fire was affecting an adjacent building. Firefighters worked hard to contain the fire and a command unit was brought in from Devizes. No casualties were reported.
10pm: A further relief crew was brought in from Amesbury and firefighters continued to tackle the blaze. Ground monitors and an aerial ladder platform were used to extinguish. Due to the age of the building, there were concerns that the smoke plume may contain asbestos – local residents were therefore advised to keep windows and doors shut and stay inside as a precaution.
Friday 18 April, 6.30am: Relief crews from Verwood, Shaftesbury, Blandford, Warminster, Ferndown, Cranborne, Westbury, Redhill Park, Gillingham and an aerial ladder platform from Swindon were on scene overnight. Crews used multiple hose reel jets and main lines to extinguish the fire, and at 5.44am this morning, the incident was scaled back to two appliances. Remaining crews were then dampening down.
10am – The incident was scaled back to one pump. An investigation into the cause of the fire was started, working with Wiltshire Police.
12.30pm – Firefighters had left the scene. There were still some wisps of smoke rising from the rubble but the incident was handed back to the site owner. A reinspection was scheduled for later in the day. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. The advice about keeping doors and windows closed has been rescinded, and any ash or debris in the local area should be left for the wind/rain to clear.
7.30pm – A number of hotspots were dealt with, and the stop came in at 7.20pm. A further reinspection will be held in the morning. Investigations into the cause of the fire are likely to carry on well into next week.