Fire London traffic delays on M25 affect commuters after vehicle fire

Fire London incidents have left commuters on the M25 facing halted anticlockwise travel and growing delays. 7: 44 a. m. ET — all lanes were brought to a stop after a vehicle fire between junctions 30 and 29 near Havering, and separate blazes were reported between junctions 21 and 20 that forced lane closures.

All anticlockwise lanes stopped between junctions 30 and 29 near Havering

All anticlockwise lanes on the M25 were brought to a stop after a vehicle fire was reported in the stretch between junction 30 and junction 29 near Havering, creating an immediate carriageway halt; that stoppage is the most direct cause of disabled traffic flow for drivers on that side of the orbital.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service sent four engines to a truck blaze at J21–J20

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service were called to the anticlockwise M25 between junctions 21 (Chiswell interchange) and 20 (Kings Langley interchange) at 7: 44 a. m. ET, dispatching four fire engines from Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead, Garston and St Albans; crews found a flat-bed truck well alight and extinguished the blaze by 8: 21 a. m. ET using breathing apparatus.

Witness account and the smell of a failing clutch on the M25 at Kings Langley

A lorry was reported to have burst into flames after its driver noticed a burning smell, with the incident recorded at about 7: 50 a. m. ET between junction 21 at St Albans and junction 20 at Kings Langley; witness Doug Guerrier, 54, said the smoke was black and that he saw people carrying tools away from the burning vehicle.

Two lanes of the M25 were closed around the truck blaze and the AA recorded roughly two miles of congestion building on the approach; the clockwise carriageway also slowed as onlookers moved past the scene, and knock-on congestion remained as of 9: 30 a. m. ET.

Still, emergency crews from the named Hertfordshire stations extinguished the vehicle fire by 8: 21 a. m. ET, limiting the duration of the active blaze even as traffic disruption continued.

More details expected 4: 00 p. m. ET. If the lane closures persist, the existing knock-on congestion recorded at 9: 30 a. m. ET will continue to delay M25 traffic into the afternoon.