A huge fire that tore through a multi-storey car park at Luton Airport could have been put out faster if a sprinkler system had been installed, a report has found.
Four firefighters were injured in the blaze which destroyed 1,352 vehicles on 10 October 2023 and led to flights in and out of the airport being temporarily grounded.
The fire began in a red Range Rover, which already had “light smoke” coming out of it as it entered through the barriers shortly before 9pm, according to an incident report by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The driver of the diesel vehicle did not notice the issue until they had reached the third floor of the Terminal 2 car park, when flames appeared from the front of the car, the report said.
While the owner did try to stop the fire, it spread to other parked vehicles.
The report concluded that while a sprinkler system was not mandatory in the car park, it would have helped tackle the fire.
“If a suitable sprinkler system had been installed, it may have changed and delayed the pattern of fire spread, increasing the chances of a successful outcome once firefighting operations had begun,” the report said.
It added: “A combination of the wind spreading the fire through the open-sided car park, the impact of running fuel fires, and the early onset of signs of structural collapse all prevented internal offensive firefighting from continuing and contributed to the significant scale of the fire and subsequent financial loss.”
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A previous report found that the fire started by accident, most likely caused by an “electrical fault or component failure” in the car’s engine bay.
When fire crews first arrived at the scene there were multiple vehicles on fire and by 9.37pm about 80% of the third floor was ablaze and a major incident was declared.
One agency worker had to be rescued at about 10pm after they used their “status as an airport worker” to enter the building in a desperate attempt to save their car, the report said.
The employee was safely removed but treated for smoke inhalation.
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The event was described as “one of the more significant” fires within the area for many years.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze at its height.
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The car park partially collapsed during the incident and was later fully demolished.
