A section of the M25 has been closed amid fears of an ‘explosion’ from an industrial estate fire that is raging next to the motorway.
The motorway is shut between Junction 22 and Junction 21a near St Albans with thick clouds of smoke wafting across the road.
Firefighters requested that National Highways shut the section of the M25 due to a ‘risk of a secondary explosion’ as they battled a warehouse fire in nearby Ventura Park.
Locals have been urged to keep their doors and windows closed and have been told to avoid the area.
Motorists have been warned to expect delays of more than an hour with miles of congestion and a diversion route in place.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mark Barber said firefighters are ‘working hard to bring the situation under control’.
He said: ‘Fire Control has received a significant number of calls regarding this incident, and I would like to reassure residents that firefighters are working hard to bring the situation under control.
‘As a precaution, we are asking people living nearby to keep their doors and windows closed and to avoid the area while emergency services continue to deal with the incident.
‘I would like to thank the public for their patience, understanding and cooperation. Please continue to follow our advice and avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work safely and effectively.’
Fifteen fire engines and an aerial ladder platform are battling the blaze after a 999 call was made at around 9.21am.
The industrial estate in Colney Street houses 15 units, including the OMA V Film Studios that has produced shows such as Slow Horses and The Essex Serpent.
It is not known which units are impacted.
It comes amid a wildfire tearing through the historic New Forest, which is continuing to rage today after a van burst into flames, and two-thirds of Britain being gripped by drought conditions.
A section of the M25 has been closed amid fears of an ‘explosion’ from an industrial estate fire that is raging next to the motorway
The blaze at the New Forest has spread to surrounding vegetation and engulfed 250 acres.
Firefighters are managing to contain the fire, but a change in wind direction is making efforts more challenging, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said.
Another UK wildfire raged as Britain’s sixth heatwave of the year will build from today to a 36C peak this Thursday – with no rain in the forecast and almost three-quarters of England now in drought.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amber heat health alerts will be active for most of England from this morning until Friday evening, warning of a ‘rise in deaths’.
Motorists were forced to abandon their cars and walk miles down a main road in searing heat to escape the major wildfire near the New Forest on Sunday.
Around two dozen vehicles were left on the A31 near Ringwood, Hampshire.
Around 250 acres of heathland, about the size of 140 football pitches, is alight or has been burned or damaged as 1,300-litres per minute of water is taken along a five-mile pipeline from Hightown Lake to fight the flames in the Bratley Wood area.
More than 120 firefighters have been tackling it over the past 72 hours.
The public has been told to avoid the area completely, while the A31 has also been badly damaged and will need repairs before it can reopen, according to National Highways.
The giant New Forest fire in protected heathland is still burning on Tuesday, with smoke visible 30 miles away in Portsmouth.
Police urged drivers to leave their cars if they wanted to ‘stay alive’ as the road was cleared to avoid the vehicles becoming ‘bombs’. Some 23 cars were abandoned, with mothers wheeling children in prams among those forced to evacuate.
At one point 26 fire engines were battling to bring the flames under control, with crews unbolting the central reservation to get vehicles off the road.
The emergency services had received more than 160 calls relating to the fire just before 5.30pm on Sunday.
The fire has affected 247 acres – one square kilometre – of heathland, which is being monitored with the help of police drones.
The fire service said in a statement: ‘Crews have worked tirelessly throughout the night, a change in wind direction provided a challenge to the firefighting operations but thanks to the efforts of firefighters we are managing to contain the fire.
‘We have been using a mix of fire engines and off-road vehicles to damp down and cool the edges of the area involved in the fire to prevent spread and escalation.
‘The police drone is being used to enable us to prioritise hotspot areas and manage flare-ups.
‘Overnight we had a slightly reduced presence with seven fire engines on site plus water carriers, off road vehicles and support vehicles but are planning to increase this for a larger scale attack today.
‘We are maintaining water supply to the site through combination of water carriers and the High Volume Pump (HVP) system.
‘We recognise that the hoses that have been laid as part of this system do in places go across access to homes in the area and we thank residents for their support and patience.
It comes amid a van catching fire in the New Forest which spread to the tinder-dry foliage by the A31 at Ringwood
Scorched and smoking heathland sparked by the burning van, dry conditions and strong winds
Drivers were ordered to abandon their vehicles and walk down the side of the road as the fire raged on the fire on the A31 in Hampshire
‘The HVP allows us to move large amounts of water over a longer distance, helping crews maintain a continuous supply while they work to bring the fire under control.’
It comes during a record-breaking dry spell in England, with 27million people subject to a hosepipe ban and a sixth heatwave of the year set to arrive later this week.
Further areas are set to be placed into an official drought last night – which is declared when an area has gone more than 50 days without rain.
The area hit by the blaze is protected heathland which is home to a number of rare species including reptiles, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
