Fire brigade rush to Championship stadium as blaze erupts in laundry room ahead of huge clash
FIRE CREWS were called to tackle a fire at Luton Town football club.
Pictures and videos shared on social media showed the home of the Championship football club, Kenilworth Road, on fire on Friday evening.
Firefighters were seen battling the blaze as black smoke billowed from the stadium.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene at 8:08pm.
The fire brigade said firefighters wore breathing apparatus and tackled the blaze from an aerial platform and a 9 metre ladder using two hose reels during the incident.
A thermal imaging camera was also used to check for hotspots in the operation.
The fire was under control and extinguished within two hours.
A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service statement confirmed crews remained on the scene and a full road closure was still in place on Hatters Way hours later.
The shocking scenes came hours before the Championship outfits match against Coventry.
The clash, which could be pivotal in the Hatters’ battle against relegation, was due to start at 12:30pm.
It was unclear whether the match would be affected by the incident.
However, a statement released by the club at 10:39pm confirmed there would be “no disruption” to the fixture with Coventry.
The full statement said: “We would like to advise supporters that following reports of an incident at Kenilworth Road this evening, there is no disruption to tomorrow’s fixture with Coventry City taking place.
“Smoke was found to be coming from a small appliance that had caught fire in the stadium’s laundry room, which was contained within that area and has been dealt with swiftly to prevent any substantial damage.
“We would like to offer a huge thank you to Beds Fire & Rescue for their quick intervention, along with club partners and staff who are also on site to help resolve the issue and ensure that everything is now safe.”