Locally cross-party politicians say Warwickshire is in mourning.
Cllr Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are all shocked by this tragic news. It is a body blow for us all, it has shaken us as political leaders and our communities to the very core to learn of the loss of four of our young men in this tragic way. The impact on their colleagues should not be under-estimated.”
Jim Graham, Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council, said: “I’d like to pay my own humble tribute to the work of our fire-fighters who are so highly valued by our local communities. Today is a day of reflection and remorse and grieving for all who knew there heroic men.”
William Brown, Warwickshire’s chief fire officer, commended the work of all the firefighters who he said have worked “tirelessly” throughout the warehouse fire and praised them for their skill and relentless dedication in the search for their missing firefighter friends.
William Brown, said the tributes to our fire heros were pouring in as the as the Fire Service mourned what could be the worst disaster in its history.
He said: “Firefighters operate a close bond and a comradeship that is unique to our service. You can never be sure what you are facing on a call-out - that is why all firefighters are trained to the highest professional standards.
“Our work puts us in at the centre of often difficult and sometimes highly dangerous incidents. These professional men were doing their job of controlling a raging fire and their actions remain those of heroes.
“It is a tragedy for these men who save precious lives, properties and possessions. Just as precious as these men’s lives were to us as part of our fighting family.
“We are all devastated, both locally and nationally, as united firefighters.
“Our hearts and minds are with the family and friends of these local men. The impact of their loss on the community is unimaginable. The grieving has only just begun and will take a long time for us to recover and understand what has happened here.
“Our focus will be to find out what happened to our men to ensure that this can never happen again.”