Car catches fire on M1 near Northampton causing two lanes to be closed northbound

Blaze put out but delays remain for motorists between junctions 15a and 16
By Jack Duggan
Published 11th Sep 2020, 17:28 BST
Updated 14th Sep 2020, 14:10 BST
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A car caught fire on the M1 near Northampton, causing two northbound lanes to be temporarily closed this evening (Friday, September 11).

The front right-hand-side of the silver Vauxhall car was seen ablaze on the hard shoulder of the motorway between junctions 15a and 16 at around 4.40pm.

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Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from The Mounts and Mereway extinguished the blaze wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel.

The Vauxhall on fire on the hard shoulder on the M1 near NorthamptonThe Vauxhall on fire on the hard shoulder on the M1 near Northampton
The Vauxhall on fire on the hard shoulder on the M1 near Northampton

Traffic was temporarily stopped while firefighters dealt with the incident but has now been allowed to go past the scene in the outer lane, Highways England tweeted.

"Please be aware there are long delays on the M1 northbound between J15 and J15a due to the ongoing vehicle fire," Highways England added.

"There is approx. 6 miles of congestion which is likely to add around 40 mins onto usual journey times."

Related topics:NorthamptonHighways EnglandTrafficNorthamptonshire Fire and Rescue ServiceVauxhall

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