A fire tore through a car park near London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex on Saturday, destroying more than 100 cars and causing millions of pounds in damage. The blaze erupted at Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant, near Crawley, at around 8.55pm, and no injuries were reported. The fire was described as “significant and complex” and continued well into the early hours.
Businesses and holidaymakers affected
The car park is commonly used by holidaymakers, people staying at nearby holiday parks, and local businesses. Among the vehicles destroyed was the car belonging to the brother of Megan Maynard, who spoke about the incident in a Crawley Facebook group. She said the fire “destroyed the livelihoods of so many people,” including her brother, who ran K&L Automotive, a breakdown and recovery business based at the site, with his best friend.
Ashley Riley, who started a GoFundMe campaign for the family, noted that they “have lost their livelihoods” and that the cost to replace everything is “immeasurable.” Riley added that the family members “all have families to support and will now struggle to get life back on track and to rebuild their business from scratch.”
Power outages and arrests
More than 2,000 homes in the area suffered blackouts after flames damaged high voltage equipment, forcing electricity to be shut off. Power has since been restored, and UK Power Networks, the electricity provider, is reporting no known outages.
The cause of the fire is still unclear, but fire services have confirmed that it involved a workshop, electric and heavy goods vehicles, and cylinders. A 67-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed.
