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Arson arrest following fire at historic airfield

Bea Swallow
BBC News, West of England
Andy Webb A close up picture of the flames ripping through the cafe at the Old Sarum Airfield. It shows a one-story building engulfed in bright flames and three firefighters in the foreground stretching a hose towards the fire.Andy Webb
Multiple fire crews worked solidly for hours to put out the blaze

A person has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire engulfed a Grade II* listed World War One hangar.

The blaze broke out in Hangar 3 of the Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire on 17 April, burning the historic structure to the ground and destroying an adjacent cafe.

The inferno came just a week after developers were given the go-ahead to build up to 315 homes on the site following a long battle for permission.

Wiltshire Police said the suspect, whose age has not been revealed, has been released on bail while investigations continue.

Burned debris and bricks with large brick archways in the background. A burned-out shipping container can be seen. The sky is cloudy and grey.
The 106-year-old hangar was reduced to a pile of ash and charred debris

The airfield lies within the setting of a Scheduled Monument, which means it is recognised as a nationally important archaeological site by the government.

The airfield operators had been told to make repairs to Hangar 3 - which partially collapsed when Storm Isha struck in January 2024 - as a condition of planning approval.

Roger Leggard Orange flames and tall plumes of black smoke billowing out from the top of a hangar building.Roger Leggard
Planning permission was granted on the condition Hangar 3 would be restored

Witnesses at the time told the BBC how roaring flames and billowing plumes of black smoke could be spotted from miles away.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service warned those living nearby to stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut due to the risk of "unknown chemicals".

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