RAF Fairford houses B52 and B1 planes used in the war on Iran
A large fire broke out at a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in west England on Sunday morning. In recent months, it was used by the US to launch operations against Iran, and was recently the target of anti-war protests.
According to the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, crews were called to RAF Fairford shortly after midnight on Sunday.
“The fire involved a single-story industrial storage building. It was brought under control safely and there were no casualties,” the service said in a statement.
Videos circulating on social media show a large blaze above warehouse buildings visible from the street, with an enormous plume of smoke rising up into the night sky.
Major fire reported at RAF Fairford overnight, a British airbase hosting a sizeable forward-deployed contingent of USAF bombers for Iran strikes.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 26, 2026
The fire reportedly gutted a commissary building. pic.twitter.com/cveufpjC1t
RAF Fairford houses USAF B52 and B1 bombers, and serves as a key European operations center for Washington. Hundreds of anti-war protesters rallied outside the base on Saturday, demanding that the UK shut down military facilities used in the war on Iran.