Cars catch fire at London shopping centre with smoke pouring into the sky

May 10, 2025 Leave a Reply
Emergency services rushed to Brent Cross Shopping Centre this afternoon after a vehicle caught fire inside the John Lewis car park, prompting a four-pump fire response from the London Fire Brigade. The incident occurred at approximately 4pm??at the John Lewis store ??located at Prince Charles Drive, Hendon in North West London Firefighters were dispatched to the scene following multiple 999 calls reporting a ??? vehicle fire had been totally engulfed??? in the shopping centre???s parking area. Due to the location and risk of spread, a significant fire crew mobilisation to tackle the blaze that is understood to have spread to near by vehicles?? Vehicle Fire At Brent Cross John Lewis Triggers Major Fire Response Fire crews from multiple stations attended and worked rapidly to contain the blaze, which was extinguished without spreading to the store. There have been no reported injuries and the fire is not believed to be suspicious at this stage. Vehicle Fire At Brent Cross John Lewis Triggers Major Fire Response Metropolitan Police and shopping centre security assisted in cordoning off the affected section of the car park while the fire was tackled. A source for the London Fire Brigade said: ???Crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire inside a Brent Cross retail unit car park. Four fire engines attended. The fire was brought under control promptly, and investigations are underway to determine the cause.??? Shoppers were temporarily restricted from accessing parts of the John Lewis car park during the incident, but the shopping centre remained open. Vehicle Fire At Brent Cross John Lewis Triggers Major Fire Response Motorists and visitors are advised to avoid the area while emergency crews complete investigations and safety assessments. More updates to follow as the situation develops.
‘Several’ cars caught fire at the shopping centre (Picture: UKNIP)

The fire brigade is investigating after several cars caught fire in a shopping centre car park.

The vehicles caught alight in the open-air car park of Brent Cross Shopping Centre in Hendon, north London, on Saturday afternoon.

Videos shared on social media showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the car park and into the sky.

Rosanna Rafel-Rix, 35, a programme manager based in north London, captured video of the fire.

She said: ‘I was leaving Brent Cross and there were plumes of black smoke coming from the John Lewis entrance of the centre. So I started to film.

‘As I got closer I saw it was at least one car fully on fire causing the smoke and it didn’t look like the centre itself, but I couldn’t really tell.

Screengrab taken with permission from the social media site X, formerly Twitter, from a video posted by Rosanna Rafel-Rix of smoke after a number of vehicles caught fire in a car park at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said four fire engines and around 25 firefighters responded to the blaze in an open-air car park near Prince Charles Drive in Hendon, north London, after first receiving reports at 4.06pm on Saturday. Issue date: Saturday May 10, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story FIRE BrentCross. Photo credit should read: Rosanna Rafel-Rix /PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The fire was put out after two hours (Picture: Rosanna Rafel-Rix/PA Wire)

‘There were no alarms that I heard of people running out, but in the car park people were trying to get away.’

Four fire engines and crews from West Hampstead, Finchley, Willesden and other surrounding stations attended the scene.

The fire was under control by about 6pm, about two hours after the London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the scene, and a spokesperson for the brigade said the cause of the fire was being investigated.

Brent Cross Shopping Centre also confirmed an investigation is ongoing.

The number of cars on fire has not been confirmed, but pictures and videos show several vehicles have been left completely destroyed by the blaze.

A spokesperson for the LFB added: ‘The Brigade received the first of 26 calls reporting the fire at 1606, and crews from West Hampstead, Finchley, Willesden and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

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‘Crews had the incident under control by 1814. The cause of the fire is under investigation by our investigation unit.’

No injuries have been reported.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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