A MASSIVE fire broke out at an old RAF base this morning.
Fire crews rushed to Wigsley Old Airfield in Nottinghamshire at 1.25am.
Around 12,000 tonnes of hay bales and standing corn were ablaze
Fire crews rushed to Wigsley Old Airfield in Nottinghamshire at 1.25am
The bright flames lit up the night as the fire raged
Around 12,000 tonnes of hay bales and standing corn were ablaze.
There were about 10 fire engines and multiple rural firefighting vehicles tackling the flames.
Three engines remain on scene, where they’re creating fire breaks to extinguish the blaze.
The brigade said crews will be on scene for the next few days to fully extinguish the fire and determine a cause.
RAF Wigsley was built between 1941-1942 as a satellite base for the Royal Air Force.
It was operational from February 1942 and closed in July 1958.
There are still buildings from the war on the site today.
A statement from the fire service said: “Firefighters are currently in attendance at a large fire at Wigsley Old Airfield, Wigsley, following a call at 12:32 this morning.
“Approximately 12,000 tonnes of hay bales were on fire and standing corn was well alight.
“At the height of this incident we had 10 fire engines in attendance, as well as the Water Bowser, the Command Support Unit and multiple rural firefighting vehicles.
“Crews worked extremely hard throughout the night to get this fire under control and to stop it spreading further.
“This morning (Sunday 13 July) we reduced our attendance to three fire engines – firefighters on scene will be creating fire breaks and working to extinguish the fire.”
Station manager Jack Makepeace added: “It’s looking like we are going to remain on scene for the coming days, if not longer, whilst we work to fully extinguish the fire and determine a cause.
“I would like to thank both the staff on the fire ground and those working hard in our Joint Fire Control Room for the work they have done throughout the night, especially in the hot conditions.
“We would like to remind people to avoid the area where possible.
“If you can still see or smell smoke in your local area, then we advise keeping doors and windows closed.”
The brigade said crews will be on scene for the next few days to fully extinguish the fire and determine a cause
Around 12,000 tonnes of hay bales and standing corn were ablaze Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
