Up to 1,500 cars involved in multi-storey blaze that closed Luton Airport
A diesel SUV is believed to have caused the conflagration
Up to 1,500 cars could have been affected by a fire at a Luton Airport multi-storey car park on Tuesday night.
The fire service says it was called to reports of the blaze on level three of the airport’s Terminal Car Park 2 at 20:47 BST on Tuesday, October 10. At 21:38, the fire service declared a major incident and all flights at the airport were cancelled until Wednesday afternoon.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire started in a “diesel-powered” car, before spreading throughout the car park and causing “significant structural collapse” of the building. Crews from Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and London Fire Brigade all helped tackle the fire alongside the local Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue service, and the airport’s own fire crews.
The East of England Ambulance Service said four firefighters and a member of airport staff were taken to hospital having inhaled smoke, but no other serious injuries have been reported.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a Notice to Aviation (NOTAM) closing the airport to “all [aircraft] movements” until 15:00 BST on Wednesday. The CAA also created a restricted area around the airport, effectively preventing unauthorised aircraft from flying below an altitude of 3,500ft within two-and-a-half nautical miles of the airport.
The blaze was finally extinguished on Wednesday morning (October 11).
At 15:00 BST on Tuesday, Luton Airport resumed flight operations, and the CAA lifted the temporary airspace restriction around the airport. A temporary passenger drop-off area has been established in the mid-stay car park, but the Dart shuttle from Luton Airport Parkway to the terminal remains out of service, with replacement buses operating. Flights are now largely operating as normal.
EasyJet, one of the main airlines based at Luton, said about 35 flights were unable to operate as a result of the fire.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue’s Andy Hopkinson said there was “no intelligence to suggest it was anything other than an accidental fire,” adding that the blaze started in a vehicle that arrived just before the fire service was called. Footage has been posted online purporting to show the start of the fire, with an SUV that appears to be a Land Rover burning fiercely in the car park before the flames spread to other vehicles.
Hopkinson described the fire as “severe and rapidly spreading.” Footage posted online has shown the fire ripping through the building, with flames leaping from the car park’s open sides. Car alarms and large explosions could be heard as vehicles ignited.
Up to 1,500 vehicles were in the 1,900-capacity car park at the time, and the fire spread to multiple floors, but the fire service said a “substantial number” were not damaged. A special ramp will be constructed to help drivers get undamaged vehicles out of the car park.
“Diesel-powered” car thought to have started the fire
Although some posters online have suggested an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid car could be at fault for the blaze, the fire service said the vehicle in question was thought to be a diesel-powered Land Rover, although the service conceded there were electric and hybrid vehicles in the building at the time.
While EV fires are well documented, there’s no evidence to suggest they are any more common than in petrol and diesel vehicles. In fact, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) found that petrol or diesel cars are 19 times more likely to catch fire than EVs.
However, firefighters have found that electric car fires can be harder to extinguish because of the way some current battery types burn.
Just last month, firefighters in Sydney attended a fire caused by an EV at Sydney airport, although just five vehicles were destroyed. And this summer, the government released special guidance for the operators of covered car parks to help them deal with EV fires.
The fire service has reportedly recommended that Luton Airport install sprinkler systems in its car parks, after admitting that there was no such system in the recently built multi-storey car park affected by the fire.
In a statement published on Wednesday evening, Luton Airport’s management said: “We wanted to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services for their swift and commendable response, ensuring the safety of our passengers and staff. We understand the significant disruption this incident has caused… and we are committed to providing as much support as we can to affected customers.
“While operations have resumed, some further disruption is inevitable. An investigation is underway and we are fully assisting the authorities. Once again, we would like to thank our passengers for their cooperation and understanding during this challenging period.”
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