DRAMATIC VIDEO: Firefighters tackle 'inferno' in town centre car park

Crews were called to Orchard Street multi-storey car park, in Crawley, after smoke was seen billowing out of the building just before 9am.

Gino Ramos had popped to nearby Asda to get a drink and described the 'inferno' which unfolded in front of his eyes.

He said: "I had just come out of my flat about 8.54am and noticed white smoke coming from the car park. My neighbour said it might have been a fire because it smelt quite feral.

"It was completely ablaze so I called 999. The smoke started turning from white to black. The fire was so intense the lights above the car had completely melted.

He said he looked around the car and called out for help but luckily no-one was inside.

"It was a pretty bad inferno when I got there but if anyone had been there (inside the car) when I got there they would probably have been unconscious," he added.

"Had I not been there, it would likely have gone unnoticed for a while. No motorists stopped and no other people walked by until well after 10am."

Two fire crews from Crawley were called and arrived within three minutes to start battling the flames. They were extinguished using a hose reel and a water jet.

A spokesman for the fire service said the fire was started deliberately.