Inquest into business park fire deaths opens

The inquest into the deaths of two firefighters and a member of the public who were killed during a fire at a business park has opened.

Firefighters Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, along with father-of-two Dave Chester, 57, were killed in the blaze that engulfed the Bicester Motion site on 15 May.

Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter opened the inquest in Oxford on Tuesday, before adjourning it until 25 November.

Referring to those "tragically" killed, Mr Salter listed their causes of death as "multiple traumatic injuries".

Thames Valley Police (TVP) previously said all three had sustained injuries in line with those "typically caused by the collapse of part of a structure".

Two other firefighters were also seriously injured in the incident, and remain in hospital in stable conditions.

The fire was reported at about 18:30 BST on 15 May and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar at the site on Buckingham Road, and a major incident was declared.

Ten fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the blaze as witnesses reported seeing black smoke in the sky.

Bicester Motion is home to more than 50 specialist businesses, focused on classic car restoration and engineering on the former site of RAF Bicester.

It was home to RAF Bomber Command in World War Two and became redundant in 2004.

TVP said post-mortem examinations showed that Ms Logan, Mr Sadler, who worked for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Mr Chester died from multiple traumatic injuries.

The force also confirmed that an unexplained death investigation was being led by its major crime unit, alongside fire investigators and the Health and Safety Executive.

Home Office statistics showed it was only the fourth incident in which a firefighter had died whilst tackling a blaze in England in the past 15 years.

It was also the first time two firefighters had been killed in the same fire since Jim Shears and Alan Bannon died in a blaze at Shirley Towers in Southampton in April 2010.

Following the blaze, Bicester Town Council opened books of condolence, while church services and silences also took place.

Two gold plaques were placed at Bicester Motion following the fire, with both signed: "Love from the Bicester Community."

Paying tribute after the fire, the family of Mr Sadler, who previously worked for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) and was also part of London Fire Brigade, said being a firefighter was "always in his blood", adding that he was "the true definition of a hero".

"Our world has fallen apart and our hearts are completely broken, but somewhere in amongst it all we are immensely proud of him and his unwavering bravery," they added.

The family of Ms Logan said her "bravery and fearlessness shone through right until the end".

"She will always be our hero and we are so immensely proud of her. Forever in our hearts," they added.

Mr Chester's family described him as "Bicester born and bred" with a "quirky sense of humour".

"He was not a victim but a hero, he died the way he lived – helping others and putting them ahead of himself," they continued.

Nicholas Mawer, who represents Bicester North on Cherwell District Council, previously told the BBC those lost in the fire were "the best of Bicester".

"Thankfully these incidents are very rare but it's deeply affected the community," he added.

Ms Logan and Mr Sadler were members of Bicester Rugby Union Football Club (BRUFC), with Ms Logan on the Bicester Vixens women's team.

"We are a tight-knit club," BRUFC's chairman Paul Jaggers said.

"Obviously losing two of your members in any situation is really tough and it's had a profound impact."

A fundraiser launched by the club has raised more than £23,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity since the tragedy.

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