Is there any update on this?  It would be interesting to follow this on.

The investigation report is not expected before April 2024:

London Luton Airport: Car Park 2 Incident Review | Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (bedsfire.gov.uk)

I see that Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue have pointed out quite forcefully that it was a diesel car that caught fire, not an EV.

But what we all expect is that it was a diesel hybrid car…

I didn't even know such a thing existed so looked it up. They are pretty rare beasts, but if like me you are curious then read on:-

www.fuelcardservices.com/.../

ICE or EV or Hybrid vehicle may have started the fire but the chain reaction that destroyed over 1000 vehicles (and by my understanding they are going to demolition the whole structure for safety reasons) also needs to be looked at.


It would be good to see what they had for a fire risk assessment for that car park, considering it was only built a few years ago(I think 3 years).  Was there any consideration for a EV catching fire while charging or not charging but suffering from thermal runaway.  What about a fire in close proximity to an EV.  At this point people will say that an ICE needs the same risk assessment but we have no issue with a metal can on our driveway with 70 litre of fuel in it.  (Which is a valid point)


However I have seen ICE vehicle fires and I have seen them put out quite quick and easy.  EV fires on the other hand are not the same beast.  Another point to consider is that when the vehicle is on fire for whatever reason how long before it spreads to the next vehicle.  I have seen this demonstrated with mobile phone batteries.  1 was punctured and left to ignite and the fire was like the back end of a firework.  In the second test they punctured the same make and model battery and placed it 10cm from another battery and then 10cm another battery was positioned.  The result was truly scary.  

In both tests the first battery caught fire and burned vigorously but in the second test the adjacent batteries also caught fire and when they did the heat and intensity of the fire area grew.  Now imagine 10 EV cars lined up together and one catches fire and is burning so intense that it makes the next vehicle catch fire.  The domino effect of each successive car catching fire means more work for the attending fire fire-fighters. 

It was definitely a standard diesel car. One of the firefighters present that evening is an acquaintance of mine.

The report has now been released:

London Luton Airport: Car Park 2 Incident Review | Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (bedsfire.gov.uk)

Luton Airport car park fire could have been limited by sprinklers - report (bbc.com)

A sprinkler system could have changed or limited the huge multi-storey car park fire at London Luton Airport, according to a new report.

Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service (BFRS) has published a significant incident report into the blaze on 10 October 2023 which was tackled by more than 100 firefighters at its peak.

The fire started in a diesel vehicle on the third flood of Car Park 2, but because of wind blowing through the open-sided structure it spread quickly and destroyed 1,352 vehicles and caused a partial collapse of building.

Investigators said although a sprinkler system was not mandatory for an open-sided multi-storeys, it would have "changed and delayed the pattern of fire spread".

Thanks for sharing this Roger. Makes interesting reading.

Would love to know who this person was and whether or not they were reprimanded for not only putting their own life at risk but the lives of the rescue crew as well: 

"During this second phase an individual was spotted in Car Park 2 and was rescued. The individual worked in the terminal building (but was not an employee of LLAOL) and had entered the building approximately one hour after the start of the incident and had used their status as an airport worker to gain access to the building in an attempt to remove their car."

Thanks for sharing this Roger. Makes interesting reading.

Would love to know who this person was and whether or not they were reprimanded for not only putting their own life at risk but the lives of the rescue crew as well: 

"During this second phase an individual was spotted in Car Park 2 and was rescued. The individual worked in the terminal building (but was not an employee of LLAOL) and had entered the building approximately one hour after the start of the incident and had used their status as an airport worker to gain access to the building in an attempt to remove their car."