If you own or manage a public car park, you know only too well what could happen if a fire broke out on your premises.
Alex MacArthur, director at North West Fire Solutions, explains:
- What causes these fires.
- How they can be prevented.
- How to manage them if the worst should happen.
In this article on car park fires
Why are public car park fires a hazard?
How do public car park fires start?
What can be the results of these fires?
What have these fires taught us?
What protection measures should be in place?
How can electric vehicles increase fire risk?
How can fire safety in public car parks be improved?
Start improving your car park’s fire safety today
Why are public car parks a fire hazard?
If a vehicle in a car park catches fire, the potential for that fire to spread is quite high, as so many vehicles are close together.
In multi-storey car parks that are open to the elements, a lot of airflow can enter, and this can feed the flames.
There can also be a delay in discovering fires—particularly at night when there aren’t many people on-site.
Unfortunately, from our experience, many structures lack sprinkler systems. The older sites have never been upgraded, and if a fire were to occur on these sites, the results could be horrific.
How do public car park fires typically start?
These fires typically stem from electrical or mechanical defects or a hot exhaust.
Some fires start due to faults in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment, and then, of course, there’s deliberate ignition, arson.
They can be triggered by a variety of factors. That’s why it’s important to be hypervigilant at all times and follow the necessary protocols.
What can be the results of these fires?
As explained, car park fires can spread rapidly.
They’re often big fires involving extreme heat and toxic smoke, which are major hazards.
If a fire were to spread to the rest of a building, you’re potentially looking at partial structural collapse.
There could be significant vehicle loss and business disruption, depending on where the site is and how it’s used.
For instance, the fire that took place at the multi-storey car park on King’s Dock in Liverpool involved more than 1,000 vehicles. This proves just how big and catastrophic car park fires can be.
What have such fires taught us?
The Liverpool and Luton airport fires demonstrate how quickly these fires can transition to other levels of a building.
In the case of the Luton fire, this led to partial structural collapse. So, structural robustness and built-in passive fire safety measures matter just as much as fire detection.
Sprinklers also have a massive impact on the outcome of a fire. You must ensure that any sprinkler systems you have are well-maintained.
As you know, a lot of people use car parks for different reasons. Having the highest standards of fire safety protects them and minimises impact on business continuity, which is absolutely vital.
What fire protection measures should be in place in public car parks?
Every car park is a unique, complex building. As such, you should have a fire strategy detailing the passive fire safety measures for that building.
You need effective detection and alarm systems, consistent monitoring, and sprinklers and water mist systems.
If a fire breaks out in your car park, these suppression systems can significantly limit its growth and spread.
Smoke control and ventilation might come into play.
Standard compartmentation and separation are vital if your car park is attached to part of another building, such as a block of flats.
Proper electrical safety allows you to isolate and switch off the supply in an emergency, which, again, is very important.
And, of course, you need to consider how the fire service would gain access to your car park.
You also need to assess whether:
- You have a sufficient number of hydrants and risers available.
- The fire service would be able to find their way around your premises without any issues.
There are quite a few things to consider. They should all be documented in a comprehensive fire strategy, so it’s clear for everybody from the word ‘Go’ what they need to do should the worst happen.
How are electric vehicles increasing fire risks in public car parks?
Electric vehicle fires involve thermal runaway in the car batteries. It’s a self-sustaining, uncontrollable chain-reaction (which is also why damaged Lithium batteries catch fire in scrap metal yards), leading to a prolonged period of intense burning.
With electric vehicles, there’s always a major risk of reignition, and electric vehicle fires typically involve a lot of smoke.
Your charging infrastructure introduces additional electrical hazards, which clearly increases the potential risk of fire.
In July 2023, the UK government brought out interim fire safety guidance for electric vehicles in covered car parks. This guidance looked at:
- Practical controls
- Zoning
- Ventilation
- Drainage
- EV chargepoint shut-off/isolation controls
- Asset spacing
It’s worth consulting this guidance if you haven’t already.
While electric vehicles are still relatively new, there are plenty of steps you can take to make your car park as EV-friendly as possible.
How can fire safety in public car parks be improved?
Having a comprehensive fire strategy helps you understand, from an engineering and design perspective, how you’ll address things like smoke control, ventilation, and sprinkler systems.
Smarter layouts also help improve fire safety in public car parks. If you have electric vehicles parking on-site, you must have proper charging zones with clearances.
Some car parks even have barriers in between vehicles so a potential fire doesn’t spread from one vehicle to another.
Ensuring people can escape through proper, protected escape routes is hugely important.
So, too, is regularly maintaining electrical systems and having proper isolation and emergency cut-off switches.
Anything new that’s introduced to your public car park should be well-maintained and you should conduct regular reviews to check for potential issues.
You should have constant monitoring in place, particularly if you manage a high-risk site.
All staff on-site need to receive thorough fire safety training so everybody is on the same page.
If a fire does start, everybody in your premises must know what’s going on when the fire service turns up, and you must have a strong evacuation plan in place.
Start improving your car park’s fire safety today
If you want to give yourself the best chance of minimising fire risk in your public car park, you’re in good hands with North West Fire Solutions.
We’ve carried out various fire assessments for car parks across the UK.
One of our assessors was actually involved in the investigation into the King’s Dock fire in Liverpool during his enforcement career.
We’ve got a fantastic team of experienced, competent professionals who understand the nature and cause of car park fires.
Whether you want to speak to us about your plans for the future or a retrospective fire strategy, feel free to reach out.
With a combined industry experience of approximately 250 years, we’re perfectly placed to advise you on all things fire safety.
You can arrange for us to attend your site by calling us on 0151 665 0124 or emailing info@nwfiresolutions.co.uk.