Bedfordshire FRS issues detailed report on London Luton Airport car park fire

The 110-page document outlines the scale of the operation, which required more than 100 firefighters at its height. Crews worked tirelessly to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighbouring car park, the multi-million-pound DART travel infrastructure and aircraft. The incident, which led to widespread disruption, was managed without any serious injuries or fatalities.

The report identifies areas for improvement, particularly so in terms of fire safety measures for multi-storey car parks. If there had been a suitable sprinkler system, it may have changed and delayed the fire spread.

Andy Hopkinson (chief fire officer at the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service) said: “Evidence derived from global research demonstrates the effectiveness of sprinklers in controlling fires in car parks, with property loss circa 95% lower than if there’s an uncontrolled fire. We will be using the learning from this incident to support the National Fire Chiefs Council in lobbying for a change in national guidance and legislation to make the provision of automatic water suppression systems, such as sprinklers, a requirement in multi-storey car parks.”

Hopkinson is also backing the National Fire Chiefs Council in relation to its call on Government to carry out further and in-depth research into fires in car parks and the design of car parks. Indeed, the National Fire Chiefs Council has already called for a review of the requirements for car parks to take account of the products and materials used in modern vehicles, and also to consider additional requirements for automatic water suppression systems and structural safety above those specified in the current guidelines.

Incident summary

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service received calls to a fire involving a car on level three of the multi-storey car park at London Luton Airport at 20.47 on 10 October 2023. Fire crews were faced with a rapidly escalating fire and declared a major incident at 21:38.

A severe fire rapidly spread through the structure and caused significant structural collapse. Firefighting operations were undertaken to control the blaze and protect nearby buildings, vehicles and the Luton DART station.

At the fire’s peak there were 15 rescue pumps, three aerial appliances and more than 100 firefighters on scene. Fire and Rescue Service colleagues from the London Luton Airport Fire Service, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and the London Fire Brigade, along with Bedfordshire Police and the East of England Ambulance Service, were called upon for their support.

Subsequent investigation

Following the incident, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service put together a Serious Incident Response Task Force, whose members remain in the process of conducting a full internal and multi-agency investigation and review into the cause, response and outcome of the incident.

The vehicle involved was a diesel-powered vehicle. It was neither a fully electric vehicle, nor a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

In the wake of the fire, a multi-agency investigation was initiated involving the Bedfordshire Police and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. That investigation concluded in March this year.

As a result of the investigation, all evidence points to the most probable cause being an electrical fault or component failure, which began in the engine bay of the vehicle while it was in motion. The developing fire spread to other components and, while the owner of the vehicle attempted to fight the fire, the vehicle became overrun with flames. Those flames subsequently spread to other parked vehicles.

Councillor Jacqui Burnett, chair of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, commented: “The fire presented challenges, but I’m incredibly proud of the rapid response and professionalism shown by our teams and our partners. The operation not only safeguarded the airport, but also highlighted the strength of the Fire and Rescue Service’s multi-agency co-ordination. While our firefighters managed to contain and then successfully extinguish the fire, reports like these are essential to ensure the Fire and Rescue Service learns and continues to improve its response in the future.”

*The Significant Incident Report is available to view in full online