Sprinkler system would have limited Luton Airport car park fire, report finds

An airport worker had to be rescued after entering the burning building to try to save their car.

The fire at Luton Airport started in a red Range Rover, a report said (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Archive)

A huge fire inside a multi-storey car park at Luton Airport could have been put out faster if a suitable sprinkler system had been installed, a report has concluded.

Four firefighters were injured in the blaze which destroyed 1,352 vehicles on October 10 2023 and led to flights being grounded.

The fire started in a red Range Rover which already had “light smoke” coming out of it as it went through the barriers shortly before 9pm, an incident report by Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service has revealed.

The driver of the diesel vehicle did not notice the issue until they had reached the third floor of the car park, when flames appeared from the front of the car, the report said.

The owner tried to stop the fire but it spread to other parked vehicles.

A previous report concluded the blaze started by accident – most probably 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 cars on fire, and by 9.37pm, approximately 80% of the third floor was ablaze and a major incident was declared.

An airport agency worker had to be rescued around an hour after the start of the fire, the report said, after using their “status as an airport worker” to enter the building in a desperate attempt to save their car.

The employee was safely removed but had to be treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire service described the blaze as “one of the more significant incidents to occur within Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service’s area for many years”.

The massive fire involved more than 100 firefighters tackling it at its height, and saw all flights halted at the airport until the following day.

The report concluded that while a sprinkler system in the car park was not mandatory, it would have made the fire easier to tackle.

“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.

“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.”

The car park partially collapsed during the incident, and was later fully demolished.

Construction on a new car park is under way, and “includes plans for a fire suppressant system”, the airport said.

At the time, Luton Airport said it had provided the Motor Insurers’ Bureau with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles and, along with parking provider APCOA, had responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the fire.

Responding to the report, Alberto Martin, chief executive of London Luton Airport said: “We welcome the findings of the report, which highlights the efforts of the airport fire service and our wider team.

“We continue to work closely with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and all agencies in relation to this incident.

“We are grateful for their response to the incident, and for the understanding shown by our passengers and business partners.

“Construction on a new car park is under way, which includes plans for a fire suppressant system.”