A major fire at a holiday parking site and industrial estate near Gatwick Airport has left more than 2,000 homes without power and damaged rows of vehicles, after police arrested a man on suspicion of arson.
Eight fire engines were deployed to Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant after West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was called shortly after 9pm on Saturday.
The blaze spread across the site through the night, with footage posted on social media showing flames towering above electricity pylons as emergency crews battled to contain the fire.
UK Power Networks was forced to cut electricity supplies to more than 2,000 properties while firefighters worked to make the area safe.
By Sunday, the scale of the damage was becoming clearer, with rows of scorched cars left at the site and vehicles covered in smoke.
The business park is used extensively by travellers parking their cars before flying from nearby Gatwick Airport. Several vehicles and high-voltage electrical equipment are understood to have been damaged.
No casualties have been reported.
The fire also affected businesses operating from the industrial estate. One social media user described the incident as a “devastating fire” that had destroyed the livelihoods of businesses including a car breakdown and recovery company.
Emergency services remained at the scene until Sunday evening as investigators began examining the cause of the blaze.
West Sussex Police said: “Power has been shut off to the immediate area, affecting a number of businesses and homes, and nearby roads remain closed as a precaution.
“A number of cars have also been damaged at a site used for holiday parking.
“Any affected consumers are advised to contact their operator directly.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and transported to custody.
“Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 1504 of 22/08.”
The arrest marks a significant escalation in the investigation as detectives seek to establish how the fire started and whether it was deliberately set.
For businesses at the site, the disruption extends beyond the immediate destruction, with power cuts, road closures and damaged vehicles threatening operations at one of the airport area’s key parking and commercial locations.
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