Foam on the Range

I mentioned the mysterious Fairford foam the other day, and a journalist from the US Forces paper Stars and Stripes, Geoff Ziezulewicz, posted in the comments asking for more detail.

He's got his story.

British Environment Agency officials confirmed Tuesday that RAF Fairford was the source of firefighting foam contaminating area waterways and the River Thames. Agency officials said the foam had caused some people in the area to suffer sore throats and itchy eyes, and had killed hundreds of fish. About 51,000 gallons of a “foam-water” solution was discharged at a hanger on the base on July 5, Air Force representatives said Tuesday. RAF Fairford is home to the Air Force’s 420th Air Base Group.

Someone must have been smoking indoors.


UPDATE - in the original post I bemoaned the ready availability of sensitive military info on Google Earth, and commenters responded :

via Blognor Regis - this Chinese nuclear submarine

via anonymous : this top secret British hardware

anon again : the Register's 'Black Helicopter' competition