Ferocious it was.

Suspect the only way they'll know it started for sure is if the smoke and flames were captured on cctv before the cameras melted.

It's a pity that people will now immediately start to connect fires in cars with EVs, thanks to the anti-EV hysteria largely whipped up by the tabloid press.

I'm aware that there has already been speculation along these lines, but the official line is that the cause of the Luton Airport car park fire is presently unknown.

One might say on the other side of the coin that there is now a cover-up in progress, given early reports said that the fire started via an EV. What i find more than a coincidence is how many very significant fires in the vicinity of 'cars' seems to have started to occur now that a good number of EVs are now in circulation.

Note that apparently (not tabloid reporting) several firefighters have been treated for 'the effects of smoke inhalation' - which, according to Aussie motoring jounro John Cadogan, is a very real and significant danger when dealing with EV fires, as opposed to ICE ones, because of the very toxic chemicals given off via lithium battery fires.

My suspicions that it could be a lithium battery fire (or made worse by one being next to / near to the original blaze) that mad this so bad is the ferroicty of the fire and the near impossibility of an EV battery fire being able to be put out means many are just left to burn themselves out and the area just gets evacuated.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 11/10/2023 at 14:53

Note that apparently (not tabloid reporting) several firefighters have been treated for 'the effects of smoke inhalation' - which, according to Aussie motoring jounro John Cadogan, is a very real and significant danger when dealing with EV fires, as opposed to ICE ones, because of the very toxic chemicals given off via lithium battery fires.

I will believe it was an EV fire when I see proper evidence. Until then I'll let you and your mates enlarge the conspiracy stuff to your heart's content.

All I've done is speculate, based on what the very same papers you read have said early on. Nothing more. Calling such things 'a conspiracy', especially when you have often said X or Y is a 'fact' when it isn't or turns out not to be is rather hypocritical.

Plenty of toxic stuff around when any vehicle catches fire. Or for that matter the contents of an ordinary home should that get going.

True, but as John Cadogan said in more than one video, lithium-ion battery fires in vehicles are far worse on that score and in his home country have lead to serious health impacts when fire fighters were involved, far more and permanent than when dealing with ICE vehicles.

I was speculating as to why the fire brigade (in my view) didn't make that much of an effort to extinguish the fire, given that they have a specialist unit at the airport to deal with major fire incidents.

Whilst the originating vehicle may have been a diesel by subsequent reports, it could have had an Li-Ion 'hybrid' battery and/or nearby cars were EVs and perhaps they couldn't be extinguished and the area had be left to 'burn itself out' to some degree.

As you say, all you have done is speculate.

Smoke inhalation needs treatment. One may normally expect fire officers to be aware of this. The average car has ~ 120kg of plastics in them + tyres, lubricants etc all of which produce nasty smoke.

If the fire brigade judge that (a) life is not at risk, (b) fighting the fire is hazardous to crew, particularly one with lots of explosive oil and diesel, they may be entirely right not to take the risk. It may be part of their standard operating procedures to decide whether to fight or not.

Perhaps the initial reports are flawed - perhaps it was an EV or hybrid causing the fire. It may have been arson or an attempted revenge attack. It may have been set up to discredit EVs or indirectly sabotage airline operations. We can all guess - but we do not know.

All speculation on my part of course! On balance I know it is better (but less fun) to wait for a more formal analysis by those in the fire profession.

Whilst it is speculation, Mr Cadogan - who IS also a trained engineer as well as a journo I actually respect, has produced a video on the subject and made some very *interesting* dedcutions based on the evidence (which is not unsubstantial) to hand:

youtu.be/zk0MWDsueMY?si=5doJIHe_5f-u3E-k

In my view, this isn't idle speculation from a biased, non-technical journalist from a tabloid, but a reasoned opinion which I agree with.

.keep upwind of the smoke and fumes whatever else you do.

I was downwind of the beginnings of a car fire. I thought it was steam and got a faceful. The closest I can describe it was like breathing bricks.

Whether the start of the fire was an ICE or an EV ( or even arson ) is not as important as the realisation that EVs igniting in the car park has resulted in this catastrophe.
I was checking out EVs a couple of months ago and decided against because of the poor infrastructure. I’m glad I did because I think this fire will be a game changer. I suspect just about everybody in the country will be wondering how much the presence of EVs will have contributed to the damage.

Absolutely tragic for those directly involved but thank goodness it’s happened so early in the transition stage to get out of our ICE into EVs. Surely this fire is sufficient for a rethink of government policy on EVs?

According to the BBC website, there's been a statement from the fire service saying that the fire started in a diesel car.

Once a fire takes hold in a multistorey car park, the fuel type will make little difference - with several thousand litres of flammable liquid in plastic containers and a low concrete ceiling holding a lot of the heat in, it's going to be a big fire. EVs may burn differently, but once the fire is spreading from car to car it's too late.

Edited by Ian_SW on 11/10/2023 at 10:09

Was a Landy when it happened in Liverpool

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46290095

IMHO it doesn't say much about the design of the facility if a vehicle fire cannot be dealt with at all )no sprinkler, fire suppression or smoke evacuation system) and such an event causes the building to be compromised structurally that it needs to be demolished. It doesn't look that old.

Given the official 'cause' is - at least initially - a diesel vehicle, I have to wonder at how it came to be ablaze at all. The weather conditions and vehicle type (I've now seen a photo) doesn't lend itself to auto-ignition like some Italian supercars. Arson? Or perhaps a significant electrical fault?

Even so, as per my other comments, something doesn't add up here. ICE fires CAN be put out, and yet the fire was left to burn itself out. Why did the firefighters suffer from the effects of smoke inhalation, given they must've been wearing decent BA kits?

I felt it sits better in its own, it seems quite a balanced thread.

Best not to buy one of those then - or park near one...

It would be interesting to know what the fault is and the work needed for the recall.

It's good to be confronted by some professionally assembled data and conclusions.

1. They say it was an electrical fault with a diesel car that started the fire.
2. There was not any sort of sprinkler system in the car park, and it appears in most of them.
3. It was reported that the electric cars only made it worse by exploding AFTER the fire had started.

Are sprinklers actually of any use in an open sided and steel framed MSCP or might they actually make things worse?

Can you provided a source for your third point about electric cars exploding?

[Link moved to EV thread - Mod]

Edited by Xileno on 15/10/2023 at 13:57

Correction.

It was a HYBRID ELECTRIC CAR that started the fire.

Edited by HGV ~ P Valentine on 15/10/2023 at 12:58

The link has been moved to the separate EV thread.

So-somebody arrested for “ criminal damage”….interesting.

Arrested as a precaution whatever that means....

news.sky.com/story/luton-airport-car-park-fire-due...9

Another report suggests he is thought to be the owner of a trapped or damaged vehicle and tried to access it. Perhaps other stuff was damaged in the attempt?

Edited by Bromptonaut on 23/10/2023 at 11:01

They've started lifting cars off the top floor. First impressions seem some may be undamaged.