A significant disruption occurred on a major UK motorway this morning due to a vehicle fire. Three lanes of the M1 had to be closed between junction 33 for Sheffield and junction 34 for Meadowhall after the incident unfolded shortly after 8 am, causing delays.
The traffic monitoring system, Inrix, issued a warning about delays caused by a large vehicle fire around 8:10 am. According to a spokesperson from the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, they received a call at 7:58 am regarding a HGV on fire on the M1 northbound between J33 and J34. Fire crews from Parkway, Aston, and Rotherham stations responded to the incident, with no reported casualties. The crews left the scene at 9:27 am, and the fire is believed to have started accidentally.
Inrix provided an update stating, “One lane closed and slow traffic due to vehicle fire on M1 Northbound from J33 A630 (Catcliffe/Sheffield/Rotherham) to J34 A6102 Shepcote Lane (Meadowhall).” Despite most lanes being open again, National Highways advised drivers to anticipate delays.
Drivers were cautioned to allocate extra time for their journeys as recovery crews worked at the scene of the earlier vehicle fire. There is currently one lane closed on the M1 in South Yorkshire northbound between J33 (Rotherham) and J34 (Sheffield) following the HGV fire. Delays are expected, and recovery services are on-site.
The most recent update from Inrix reported, “Long delays and one lane closed due to vehicle fire on M1 Northbound from J33 A630 (Catcliffe/Sheffield/Rotherham) to J34 A6102 Shepcote Lane (Meadowhall). Congestion to J32 M18 (M18 interchange). Lanes two, three, and four are open now.”
Traffic maps from Google depict the road conditions near the Meadowhall junction of the M1, where fire crews are responding to reports of a vehicle fire. The National Highways update indicated one lane remaining closed and three lanes open on the M1 northbound between junctions J33 and J34, with delays of approximately 20 minutes compared to usual traffic flow.
Efforts to reach out to the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for more details are ongoing. Updates will be provided once more information is received.
Images from motorway traffic cameras captured fire crews rushing to the scene after the closure of three lanes on the M1 due to the vehicle fire this morning.
According to the latest Inrix update, there are long delays and three lanes closed on the M1 Northbound from J33 A630 (Catcliffe/Sheffield/Rotherham) to J34 A6102 Shepcote Lane (Meadowhall), with congestion extending to J32 M18 (M18 interchange). One lane has been reopened.