Warning as fire breaks out at UK military base

A fire has broken out at a UK military base, with nearby residents being urged to keep their windows closed.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) said it was responding to a blaze in a commercial building in the Fairford area in the early hours of Sunday.

Reports and videos on social media seen by the BBC appear to show the fire started at a unit in RAF Fairford. The Gloucestershire base, located near the Wiltshire border, is being used by the United States Air Force (USAF) to launch operations against Iran.

A GFRS spokesperson warned residents to keep their doors and windows closed due to smoke from the fire.

The UK government announced on 1 March that it had agreed to allow British military bases to be used for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Due to its long runway, RAF Fairford is capable of hosting all three kinds of long-range bombers in the USAF - the B-1, B-2 and the B-52.

The fire service, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Ministry of Defence have been approached for comment.

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