Lakeside Shopping Centre fire update as cause of fire a mystery

Essex Fire Service has issued an update following a huge fire that tore through a multi-storey car park at a shopping centre. The blaze ripped through a tower of the car park at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock on Sunday (July 7).

Firefighters were called to the shopping centre in Grays at 2.52pm after reports of a fire in the roof of one of the multi-story car parks at the site. Crews from Grays, Corringham and Brentwood were sent to the incident.

On arrival, they confirmed it was a fire in the stairwell of the roof. Crews extinguished the fire by 3.25pm. However, following an investigation it could not be determined what started the fire.

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Watch Manager Danny Harper said: “Crews have done a great job, and have quickly stopped the fire from spreading further. We believe the fire started in the stairwell on the roof. Luckily there are no cars on this level so no vehicles have been affected.

“An investigation will now be carried out into the cause of the fire.” By 5.50pm, this investigation had finished and was inconclusive, the fire service said.