A significant fire involving a fleet of hybrid vehicles at the Port of Southampton in the early hours of 3 June has raised renewed attention on fire risks in vehicle storage environments

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (H&IWFRS) confirmed that “multiple crews were called at around 04:20am on 3 June to a fire at a vehicle storage compound in Southampton,” where 33 hybrid sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were involved. The vehicles are believed to have been Jaecoo E5 models, with a combined estimated value approaching £1 million.

According to the H&IWFRS, “at the height of the incident there were 10 fire engines, two water carriers, an aerial ladder platform and support vehicles on site.” Firefighters deployed “jets, the aerial ladder platform, and ground monitors to fight the fire,” reflecting the scale and intensity of the blaze.

Local residents reported being disturbed by loud noises prior to the arrival of emergency services. One eyewitness told the Southampton Daily Echo: “It woke me up around 3.30am. After a while, I got up to find out what was causing so much noise, and that’s when I saw the smoke.” The same individual added: “The car horns and explosions were quite loud… the smoke was very thick and had an acidic smell.”

Fire and rescue services issued precautionary public safety advice during the incident, noting: “Due to significant smoke in the area residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed.” The presence of dense smoke and reported explosions highlights the potential hazards associated with vehicle fires, particularly where multiple units are stored in close proximity.

Associated British Ports (ABP), operator of the Southampton docks, confirmed that operations staff supported the emergency response, with a spokesperson saying: “There has been a fire in a vehicle storage compound in the Western Docks area of the Port of Southampton. All personnel are safely accounted for. The fire is well under control”.

While the involvement of hybrid vehicles may raise concerns, data collated by Qube indicates that electric and hybrid vehicle fires remain relatively uncommon. Fire service estimates suggest there are around 100,000 vehicle fires every year in the UK, yet records for 2024 show only 232 EV fires.  

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, with no confirmed ignition source at this stage.