M1 remains gridlocked in Northamptonshire as firefighters tackle HGV blaze

National Highways warns severe delays could linger all day
By Kevin Nicholls
Published 6th Oct 2021, 12:27 BST
Updated 6th Oct 2021, 12:34 BST
Firefighters tackle the blazing lorry on the M1 on Wednesday morningFirefighters tackle the blazing lorry on the M1 on Wednesday morning
Firefighters tackle the blazing lorry on the M1 on Wednesday morning

Traffic is still queueing on the M1 at Wednesday lunchtime (October 6) six hours after a lorry fire blocked three lanes of the motorway.

Three lanes remain closed while more than 20 firefighters from two counties tackled a blazing HGV on the southbound stretch of motorway between the M45 and Northampton.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The fire was first reported at 6.15am with crews from The Mounts, Mereway, Kettering and Rugby using breathing apparatus to douse flames.

Four fire crews called out at 6.15am were still working on the blaze five hours laterFour fire crews called out at 6.15am were still working on the blaze five hours later
Four fire crews called out at 6.15am were still working on the blaze five hours later

National Highways have warned congestion could continue all day as smoke continues to billow from the wreckage and tarmac may need repairing.

At one time, drivers were warned they faced two hour delays getting through.

A statement issued at just after 11am said: "The queue of congestion approaching the scene is approximately six miles in total.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service are on scene and are working to extinguish the fire however the vehicle continues to reignite.

Three out of four lanes have been closed past the sceneThree out of four lanes have been closed past the scene
Three out of four lanes have been closed past the scene

"Recovery operators are on scene and are in the process of dismantling the vehicle to allow fire crews to concentrate their efforts in extinguishing the blaze at the source. Three of the four lines are likely to remain closed for some time.

"If this incident impacts on your planned route, please allow extra journey time. Plan ahead, you may wish to re-route or even delay your journey. "

Related topics:TrafficNorthamptonshireHGVRugbyNorthampton

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.