Near London: The diesel SUV catches fire in the parking lot of Luton airport… 1,500 vehicles affected, 140 flights canceled and 25,000 passengers impacted
All flights were suspended during the fire which hit Luton Airport on Tuesday evening.
Luton Airport, the fourth largest in the greater London area, was still closed this Wednesday afternoon due to a fire in a car park located in the immediate vicinity of the runways.
According to British media, it was a burning diesel SUV that started this giant fire which destroyed hundreds of vehicles. In total, 1,500 vehicles were more or less affected by the flames.
Note that 5 people, 4 firefighters and 1 airport staff member, were hospitalized in the fire in the terminal 2 car park. Firefighters fought until the early hours of Wednesday to put an end to the fire.
“A ball of fire”
Images posted on social media showed a burning vehicle which caused a real fireball when it crossed the floor of the floor where it was parked. The fire then became completely uncontrollable and dangerous for the firefighters to control, part of the car park structure having collapsed.
Flights have been canceled since the start of the fire around 9 p.m. and were unable to resume this Wednesday afternoon although a return to normal was scheduled around 3 p.m.
A vehicle that had just arrived at the parking lot
According to Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, the fire broke out in a diesel engine vehicle which had just arrived at the car park.
Up to 25,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellations since at least 140 flights have been canceled since the start of the fire.
Passengers on board the planes were forced to disembark as more than 100 firefighters, three specialist aerial appliances and 15 fire trucks were called to the scene.
BREAKING – All flights have been suspended at Luton Airport London as massive fire has erupted in the terminal car parking.
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Electric vehicles less likely to catch fire
In England, in the wake of this giant fire, rumors spoke of a fire caused by an electric vehicle. However, there were no chargers on the floor where the fire started. Additionally, contrary to popular belief, electric vehicles are less likely to cause spontaneous fires. According to data from the National Transport Safety Board, compiled by AutoinsuranceEZ, hybrid vehicles present the highest fire risk with 3,474 fires per 100,000 sales. Thermal vehicles cause 1,529 spontaneous fires per 100,000 sales compared to 25.1 fires for electric vehicles.
