Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service first said: “We are responding to a fire in a commercial building in the Fairford area.

“Residents are advised to keep their doors and windows closed due to smoke from the fire.”

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The Ministry Of Defence said immediate details from RAF officials suggested no RAF persons were involved in firefighting activities.

The fire was inside the wire in an old disused building at the RAF base currently being used for the US military.

Photos and videos shared on Facebook show a building on fire claiming it’s the commissary building at the base.

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A Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue spokesperson has since confirmed: “We were called at 1.52am this morning to reports of a fire at RAF Fairford. Fire engines from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended and were supported by neighbouring fire and rescue services.

“The fire involved a single-storey industrial storage building. It was brought under control safely and there were no casualties.

“Crews remain at the scene this morning as a precaution and to ensure the incident is fully resolved. Fire investigation is ongoing and the early indication suggests the cause of fire was nothing other than accidental.”

The US Air Force has also been contacted for more information.

The panel discussion took place at Cheney School in east Oxford on April 16, and explored the topic The Role of Religion in Public Life.

It was part of the Agora series, which features regular talks on literature, science, politics, democracy, and more, and is organised by Dr Lorna Robinson, director of The Iris Project, a charity that brings ancient languages and cultures into UK state schools and communities.

Dr Robinson said: “It was a fascinating discussion at a time when many questions are being asked about religion and public life in the UK, and we were very grateful to each of our panellists for giving their time to explore these issues, and to model respectful discussion as a mode for reaching greater understanding.”

The panel featured journalist Shaista Aziz, Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, author and broadcaster Maajid Nawaz, YouTuber Alex O’Connor, and philosophy academic Dr Joshua Sijuwade.

It was chaired by David Gimson, head of higher attainment at Cheney School.

Each panellist shared personal perspectives on faith and the public sphere before taking questions from an audience of 170 sixth-form students.

Topics covered included women’s dress and modesty, gender roles in Christianity and Islam, the reliability of scripture, science and religion, and comparisons between French, American, and British approaches to religion in society.

While the panel agreed on the value of pluralism, there was respectful disagreement over issues like the ordination of women and the interpretation of religious texts.

After the discussion, students continued conversations with the speakers in a more informal setting.

The event received very positive feedback from students.

One student said: “I really enjoyed the discussion style, having multiple people with different views and areas of expertise all able to share opinions and argue their side in a respectful way.

“This works really well and would be great to see how it would go with other subject matter.”

Another student said: “I really enjoyed this. I think the topic was brilliant as it is so applicable to everyone’s lives.

“I know a lot of people found the discussion really interesting and it was so nice being able to talk to the speakers further afterwards.

“Thank you for getting such amazing speakers too.”

Cheney School is a large comprehensive secondary school, in a very diverse area of east Oxford.

The Iris Project promotes learning about the ancient world through national schemes, projects and events.

It also operates the Rumble Museum at Cheney School, the first school museum to be awarded full Museum Accreditation by the Arts Council Museum Accreditation Scheme.

The OX4 Food Crew, working across East Oxford, has secured a three-year grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, for the second time.

The funding will support collaboration between organisations and residents to address the root causes of food insecurity in the OX4 area.

A spokesperson for the OX4 Food Crew said: “This funding recognises that tackling food insecurity isn’t just about food, it’s about power, voice, and infrastructure.

“By investing in grassroots organisations and lived-experience leadership, The National Lottery Community Fund is helping communities build the capacity to fix the issues affecting them, together.”

READ MORE: Oxfordshire cake supplier named best in the UK

OX4 Food Crew Spring alliance gathering (Image: OX4 Food crew Spring alliance gathering)

OX4 Food Crew is a collaboration of 8 small grassroots organisation in the east of Oxford, in areas like Cowley and Little Leys.

The grant will fund shared infrastructure, coordination, research, and leadership development for grassroots organisations.

These resources aim to create a more unified and strategic response to food insecurity and related issues such as health inequality, poverty, and insecure housing.

READ MORE: 25 years of new generation Mini to be celebrated in Oxford

OX4 Food Crew at Christmas (Image: OX4 Food Crew)

Instead of focusing solely on short-term crisis support, the project will build community capacity and empower individuals with lived experience of inequality to drive change through participatory research and community organising.

The project will be delivered in partnership with local voluntary sector organisations and the local authority to create a more coordinated response to food insecurity.

The National Lottery Community Fund awards money raised by National Lottery players to community projects, with an aim to donate £4 billion to these projects by 2030.