Image source, PA Media

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall gave a brief statement on the Bicester fire a few moments ago, before leaving without taking questions from reporters.

Here's his statement in full:

"It's with a heavy heart that today we report the loss of two of our firefighters. A member of the public also sadly died in the incident. Two further fire fighters sustained serious injuries and are currently in hospital.

"The families have been informed and are being supported. Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time and we ask for their privacy to be respected. We can't provide any details at present, but will provide further information as soon as we can.

"We were called to the scene of the incident at 18:39 yesterday and at the height of the incident, we had 10 fire engines tackling the fire. We remain onsite with a reduced presence and the fire is under control.

"Our thoughts are with the family friends and colleagues affected during this time. I'm immensely proud and grateful for the exemplary multiagency response and the unwavering bravery demonstrated by the emergency services personnel. Thank you."

We've just heard from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall, who is visibly emotional while giving a brief update.

He says the families of those who died have been informed and are being supported, adding he can't release any details at the moment. More details about the incident will be shared later, MacDougall says.

He says that the fire is under control.

"I'm immensely proud and grateful of the exemplary multi-agency response and the unwavering bravery of the emergency services," he adds.

While we wait for a statement from the chief fire officer, we can bring you a bit more information about the incident from local MP Calum Miller.

Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, spoke to the BBC from Bicester Motion after travelling up to the site from London.

"Right now police are outside marshalling those seeking to enter the site. The fire is still smouldering and there is some smoke in the air," he says.

"I understand from the fire service that firstly they are making sure everything is secure, and then of course in the fullness of time there will be an investigation."

Miller adds he is "devastated", and that his thoughts are with the families and friends of all those that had died, and with two firefighters currently in hospital.

"It’s a terrible thing to have happened, and I know it’s a tight knit community who are already showing their support for those families," he says.

The MP says he is "in awe of the bravery of those who put themselves in the front line whenever there is danger".

"It’s an incredible commitment, it's an incredible path of service, and it’s just so tragic that two members of that community have lost their lives."

Image source, PA Media

We'll shortly hear from the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall, who will give a statement at scene of the fire in Bicester.

You can follow along by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe has confirmed that one of the firefighters who died in Bicester was from the capital's service.

In a statement, Roe says: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that one of those who lost their lives is London Leading Firefighter/Sub Officer, who was on retained duty with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

"We are devastated by the loss of our colleague and our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those impacted by this incident."

Large plumes of smoke were filmed coming from one of the Bicester Motion buildings after the fire broke out at about 18:30 BST on Thursday.

The video above shows flames licking the side of the building and thick grey smoke filling the air.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that three of its crews and one of its officers were part of the large operation to fight the blaze.

It said: "Our crews are no longer at the scene, however the deepest sympathies and condolences of our Service are with all of those affected by this incident."

Victoria Prentis, who formerly represented Bicester as an MP, and is the Baroness of Banbury, says she was returning to the town on the train shortly before 22:00 BST yesterday when she saw an "unusual glow in the sky.

The glow "was obviously the fire, but I had no idea how catastrophic the effects would be until I heard the news this morning", Prentis continues.

She calls the fatalities as "terribly sad", and adds they will be felt by the local community "very deeply".

She adds: "I’ve obviously met firefighters in Bicester in the past and I know that they are embedded in the communities and are brave people who put themselves in danger in order to keep the rest of us safe."

Susan Brown, the leader of Oxford City Council, says the city flag over Oxford Town Hall was being lowered to half-mast to mourn the loss of the firefighters.

She says: "This is a terrible reminder for us all that firefighters, as well as the other members of the emergency services, put themselves at risk on a daily basis, to protect us all. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude.

"We are deeply saddened, and our thoughts are with the family, colleagues and friends of those we have lost in this tragic incident."

St Laurence’s Church in nearby Caversfield is opening its doors "for anyone looking for a space for private prayer or for stillness and reflection".

The church will be open until 19:00 BST tonight, and again tomorrow and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the events of yesterday and especially with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," the church says in a statement.

We've been hearing more eye witness accounts of the large fire that broke out at Bicester Motion on Thursday. Here's the latest:

• Nav Jordan, 39, says she was in the garden with her children when she saw smoke at the site of the fire. "You could hear the crackling, it was loud," she says
• Julie Stocker, 46, who lives across the road from Bicester Motion says she saw the flames from her bedroom window, adding the site where the fire took place is usually "very busy"
• Vikas Talwar, 40, who lives in a housing estate near Bicester Motion, says he could see the fire from the street corner outside his house. "There was flames on the roof, on the top of the roof, and a huge big cloud of smoke in the air," he says

This video captured by James Spencer Matthews shows just how large the smoke fumes were that engulfed the skies over Bicester last night.Residents were advised to avoid the area, remain indoors and shut all windows.

One resident, who lives opposite the site, tells the BBC that at about 18:45 BST yesterday evening she could see "big plumes of smoke and hear the explosions" coming from Bicester Motion.

She adds: "We didn’t understand what was going on at the time.

"The neighbours were in the street and all talking, and I had prepared a bag just in case we had to leave.

"I took a walk to the site and we were told by the police to move on, get home inside, and close all our windows and doors as there was asbestos in the air.

"It’s a shock to the community. We’re all very sad and our thoughts are all with the firefighter's families at this sad time."

We're receiving live pictures of the site from a helicopter, showing a number of fire engines still on scene and damages to Bicester Motion, in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

You can follow along with these updates by clicking watch live at the top of this page.

The fire broke out a motoring and aviation site in Oxfordshire, called Bicester Motion.

The facility is located on the site of RAF Bicester, a former bomber station. Now, however, the area operates as a business park.

The historic site is home to dozens of businesses, most of which specialise in classic car restoration and engineering.

More than 50 businesses operate from the location.

Martin Eastaugh
Reporting from Bicester Motion

There are currently officers in high-vis jackets standing in front of the small sentry box that marks the entrance to the airfield, and beyond them you can see the old World War Two red brick buildings that once operated as a bomber centre. A police car is parked up nearby.

In the last five minutes two fire trucks made their way out.

There are signs all over this area of what happened last night, with huge great big fire hoses that have been disconnected and left lying around.

I’ve never seen fire hoses this big before, which gives us a bit of a glimpse of the scale of the operation that went on last night.

There is police tape across the footpath here on the junction and what we do know is that past those gates there is a lot of activity going on.

A local business owner who was one of the first people at the site of the fire says he saw large plumes of smoke and heard explosive sounds.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, a witness named Kyle Osborne says he learned about the fire from social media and decided to go the nearby area.

"There were three types of explosions. One sounded like fireworks - pop pop pop, and the second one was louder...the third one was a thunder sound," he adds.

He says the smoke within 15-20 minutes became unbearable. "We could hardly breathe it, it was black and it was hovering around," he says.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life, it was really bad."

He says there were at least 20 fire engines, 30 police cars and 10-15 ambulances at the site of the fire.

Image source, PA Media

It's now been a couple of hours since the news about the deaths was released by Oxfordshire County Council.

Here is what we know about the situation - and what we don't.

• Two firefighters and a member of the public have died following a blaze at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire
• Two more firefighters are in hospital with serious injuries
• All the firefighters were part of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
• The fire is now under control, having started around 18:30 BST on Thursday
• Police and fire crews are currently still on the scene
• Bicester Motion is a heritage facility on the site of a former RAF base, and hosts aircraft and motor vehicles
• The identities of the people who have died have not yet been released, nor have the circumtances around what happened to them
• The cause of the fire is also not yet known

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the deaths are "devastating news".

"My thoughts are with their families and friends. The bravery of our firefighters is astounding. Hoping those in hospital make a full and swift recovery," he writes on X.

Bicester Motion has released a statement about the deaths of two firefighters who were responding to a fire at its site.

The site, home to dozens of businesses specialising in aviation and motoring, says it is "deeply saddened to share the tragic news that two firefighters and a close friend of the site have lost their lives."

It adds: "There are no words at times like this, but our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. We pray for the two firefighters in hospital. The bravery shown by the emergency services teams has been overwhelming."

Bicester Motion will be closed over the weekend as it works with authorities responding to the fire.

Bicester Motion is a historic aviation and motoring centre in Oxfordshire. The site is home to more than 50 specialist businesses, most focused on classic car restoration and engineering.

It is on the site of RAF Bicester, a former bomber station.