M40 journey hell after lorry bursts into flames sparking motorway mayhem, with highway shut and drivers dealing with three hours of delays
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The M40 has been partially closed after a lorry burst into flames on the carriageway.
Drivers are facing long delays on the motorway heading southbound between Junction 16 for Hockley Heath and Junction 15 for Warwick, after the lorry caught fire.
Pictures and footage of the incident showed a huge column of smoke rising from the vehicle, which was severely damaged by the blaze.
In one clip, firefighters from four fire engines were seen tackling the fire which had burnt the vehicle’s tarpaulin and incinerated the goods in the trailer.
Traffic had backed up on to Junction 3 of the M42 as some drivers reported being at a standstill for over two and a half hours on the motorway.
Motorists are advised to leave the M40 at Junction 16 and take the A4189 and B4463, before rejoining the motorway at Junction 15, the Sun reported.
In a post on X, National Highways said: ‘The M40 in Warwickshire is closed southbound between J16 (Hockley Heath) and J15 (Warwick) due to a lorry fire.
Drivers have been stuck for hours on the M40 after a lorry caught fire. Pictured: The lorry’s tarpaulin was completely burnt by the blaze, which also incinerated the vehicle’s goods
Firefighters tackle the lorry blaze between Junctions 15 and 16 of the M40 in Warwickshire
‘Emergency services including Warwickshire Fire and Rescue are on scene. National Highways Traffic Officers are also in attendance to assist with traffic management.’
It said in a further update just before 4pm: ‘The M40 remains closed southbound between J16 (Hockley Heath) and J15 (Warwick) due to the earlier lorry fire.
‘Traffic which was caught up within the closure is currently being released past the scene in lane 3.’
Several drivers caught up in the congestion took to social media to register their frustration online.
One wrote: ‘Is there any update for people stuck directly behind the incident? We’ve been here over two hours now.’
