Fire Destroys Vehicles at Gatwick Holiday Parking Site

A large fire tore through Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant, West Sussex, on Saturday 22 August, destroying numerous vehicles used by holidaymakers flying from Gatwick Airport. Emergency services were called to the site shortly before 9pm, with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service confirming they were alerted at 8.56pm to a fire at Wallage Lane.

The blaze consumed a workshop, a range of vehicles including electric and heavy goods vehicles, and cylinders, according to the fire service. The site included parking used by holidaymakers and local businesses, and affected customers have been advised to contact their operator directly.

Arrest and Investigation

Sussex Police confirmed that a 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire. He has been released on bail while further enquiries continue. A joint fire investigation involving West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Sussex Police has been launched.

Fire crews remained on scene on Monday 24 August damping down hotspots, with teams expected to stand down later that day.

Power Cuts and Community Impact

UK Power Networks was forced to cut electricity to more than 2,000 properties while firefighters tackled the incident, affecting many businesses and homes. Nearby roads were closed as a precautionary measure. Vulnerable residents were assisted by West Sussex County Council's Resilience and Emergencies Team, and electricity has since been restored. No injuries were reported.

Some reports described the scale of destruction differently. One outlet reported that more than 100 cars were destroyed, while another said dozens of cars belonging to holidaymakers were thought to have been destroyed. All accounts agreed that numerous vehicles were lost.

Personal accounts highlighted the impact on local businesses. Megan Maynard told a Crawley Facebook group that her brother's car was among those destroyed, and that her brother and his best friend ran K&L Automotive, a breakdown and recovery business based at the site. She said: "As many of you will know, yesterday's devastating fire in Rowfant caused millions of pounds' worth of damage and destroyed the livelihoods of so many people – one of them being my brother. My brother and his best friend ran K&L Automotive, a breakdown and recovery business based at the site and in just one night everything they had worked so hard to build was taken from them."

Ashley Riley, who started a GoFundMe to raise money for the family, added: "They have lost their livelihoods and the amount of money to replace everything is [immeasurable]. They all have families to support and will now struggle to get life back on track and to rebuild their business from scratch."

Response and Advice

Eight fire engines and two water carriers were deployed to the scene, as reported by one outlet. Fire crews battled the blaze overnight into the early hours. A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service described it as a "significant and complex fire involving a workshop, vehicles (including electric and heavy goods vehicles), and cylinders."

Sussex Police stated that power was shut off to the immediate area, affecting a number of businesses and homes, and that emergency services remained on scene with the public advised to avoid the area.

The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, though the arrest on suspicion of arson has been reported. Affected customers have been told to contact their parking operator directly for information about their vehicles.