Man arrested in Britain on suspicion of arson at car park near Gatwick
In the British county of West Sussex, police arrested a 67-year-old man on suspicion of arson following a major fire at a car park used by passengers of Gatwick Airport. The fire damaged about 140 vehicles at the Caldyne business park near the town of Crawley.
As The Guardian reports, the fire broke out shortly after 21:00 on Saturday. The business park is located about eight miles from the airport. Footage released showed cars engulfed in flames and large columns of smoke near overhead power lines.
Emergency services response
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service described the firefighting effort as a major and complex operation. Eight fire engines and water tankers were deployed to tackle the blaze.
Electricity network operator UK Power Networks isolated an overhead cable so emergency crews could work at the scene. More than 2,000 homes and businesses were left without power because of the incident. Police also closed nearby roads as a precaution.
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According to the fire service, no one was injured in the fire. Two roadside assistance and vehicle recovery businesses, as well as a banger racing team, suffered significant losses. The Bears team said during a fundraising campaign that it had lost everything.
Car park is not operated by the airport
Sussex Police said the suspect had been released on bail pending further investigation. Emergency services remained at the scene, and residents were urged to avoid the area of the fire.
A London Gatwick spokesperson said the fire occurred at a third-party car park that is not approved by or operated by the airport. Passengers concerned that their cars may have been affected were advised to contact the car park operator directly.
