London's Luton Airport was hit with a major disruption on Wednesday after a vehicle fire broke out in a newly built parking garage, causing the partial collapse of the structure and the suspension of all flights. The blaze, which authorities believe was not started intentionally, erupted late Tuesday and quickly spread throughout the garage. Four firefighters and an airport employee were treated for smoke inhalation.
The parking garage, which was recently opened, did not have sprinklers, according to Chief Fire Officer Andrew Hopkinson of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. This allowed the fire to rapidly spread, engulfing the top level of the multistory structure. More than 100 firefighters were dispatched to tackle the blaze, which destroyed several cars and caused significant damage to the garage.
Luton Airport, a major hub for budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair, had to cancel, divert, or delay dozens of flights due to the fire. Passengers faced major disruptions, with some having to sleep on the floor at the airport or wait at nearby railway stations. Nikodem Lesiak, a university student trying to return to Poland, spent the night at the station after his flight was canceled. He expressed his frustration, saying, "When we got here, we found out Luton is burning and everything is closed, and we were supposed to have our flight at 7:50 today but it was canceled."
Videos posted on social media and news outlets showed the intensity of the blaze, with car alarms blaring and explosions from vehicles going up in flames. Russell Taylor, an account director from Kinross, Scotland, witnessed the fire after arriving at Luton from Edinburgh. He described the rapid escalation of the fire, stating, "A few minutes later, most of the upper floor was alight, car alarms were going off with loud explosions from cars going up in flames. The speed in which the fire took hold was incredible."
The fire resulted in the suspension of all flights until at least 3 p.m. on Wednesday, with passengers being advised to stay away from the airport while emergency crews worked at the scene. The parking garage for Terminal 2 partially collapsed, adding to the severity of the incident. In addition to the five people who were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, another person received treatment at the scene. The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service continued to monitor the smoldering remains of the garage on Wednesday morning.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but initial findings suggest that it started with a diesel vehicle. The absence of sprinklers in the newly constructed parking garage likely contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. However, authorities do not believe the fire was intentionally started. As the airport gradually reopened on Wednesday afternoon, flights began to arrive and depart, providing some relief for the thousands of affected passengers.
