A Huge Fire Has Torched 1400 Cars In A City Centre

A massive chain reaction fire has torched as many as 1400 cars parked side-by-side at a multi-storey car park in Liverpool.

The blaze at the Liverpool Echo Arena car park, which was said to have started accidentally in one of the cars, travelled from vehicle to vehicle, reducing cars to twisted metal hulks. It was fierce enough even to cross the gaps between the rows and floors, rendering every single vehicle in the building a total loss.

Windows and fuel tanks were apparently heard to be exploding regularly. Nearby residents reported a lot of black smoke and chemically, acrid smells. The police advised everyone to clear the area, stay indoors and keep all windows and ventilation systems closed and off.

Some 21 fire engines were sent to deal with the massive inferno, which took place on New Year’s Eve after starting in the late afternoon. It was still hot enough to be causing explosions after 10 hours despite drawing the fire service out in force within minutes of the first 999 calls.

Miraculously, no deaths or injuries have so far been reported. Still, many people who had lost vehicles were forced to spend the night in a temporary shelter. The authorities are now taking steps to prevent the building collapsing.

The Liverpool International Horse Show had been set up before the fire was in full swing, but those horses that had been stored in the car park were moved into the arena itself before the fire reached their level. No animals were harmed.