A blaze, which spread rapidly through a seven-storey car park in Kings Dock, in Liverpool, on New Year's Eve has destroyed an estimate of 1,400 vehicles, according to Merseyside's chief fire officer, Dan Stephens.
Six dogs were rescued from the fire. It is said that their owners might have left their dogs in the vehicles parked in the car park, while they attended the Liverpool International Horse Show at Echo Arena.
No humans or animals were severely injured in the fire. Two people were treated at the scene of the event for minor smoke inhalation, as well as a woman who has injured her hand as she ran from the flames.
Dan Stephens stated that there were no sprinklers fitting in the building. He said, “Had the car park had sprinklers, that would certainly have suppressed the fire and might even have extinguished the fire.”
In a tweet, the Labour Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson expressed that fire service cuts has also led to the devastation. He tweeted, “Car Park fire was reported to me at 4.45pm, and I was told it was containable. It would have been if we had enough appliances responding. Chief Fire officer [Dan Stephens] confirmed my view that 2 years ago we would have had 8 fire engines from 4 stations responding instead of 2 #cutscost.”
Fire investigators believe that the fire was not started deliberately. They also suggested that on 31st December 2017, shortly after 4.30pm, the engine compartment of a Range Rover Discovery on level 2 had gone up in flames. Stephens stated, “There is nothing to suggest it was anything other than an accidental ignition.”
Regarding the incident, Stephens further stated, “It's a bit like Grenfell. With these high temperatures, you were never going to put the fire out without the whole building taking hold. The speed at which the fire spreads means you simply aren't going to put it out.”
Merseyside police have advised anyone affected by the fire to go to the Pullman Hotel, in Kings Dock, where staff, aided by the British Red Cross, will be able to provide assistance.
