Drivers have been warned to "expect delays" this morning after a vehicle fire broke out on a major motorway, disrupting traffic in the East Midlands.
The lorry fire on the M1 southbound in Derbyshire was reported at 6am, with traffic being forced to stop due to the incident while emergency services worked on extinguishing the flame.
The incident occurred between junction 29 (Chesterfield) and junction 28 (Mansfield).
National Highways reported the fire early this morning, sharing on X: "Traffic has been STOPPED on the M1 southbound in Derbyshire between J29 (Chesterfield) and J28 (Mansfield) due to a lorry fire."
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The fire was reported at 6am with National Highways quick to act
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene. The fire service worked to bring the blaze under control as motorists faced delays.
The fire was put out at roughly 6.45am, according to an update from National Highways East Midlands, but some lanes of the motorway have still remained shut.
Traffic management measures were gradually implemented to ease congestion in the area.
Initially, authorities were able to reopen lane four while the fire service remained in attendance. During this phase, long delays were reported on the approach to the incident.
The cause of the lorry fire has not been revealed
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
As the situation improved, a second lane was reopened to traffic, allowing vehicles to pass the scene in two of the four available lanes.
Currently, two of the four lanes remain open on the M1 southbound between the Chesterfield and Mansfield junctions.
Arrangements are currently being made to recover the burnt-out lorry from the scene.
There are now only minor delays reported in the area with motorists still advised to allow extra time for their journeys while the recovery operation continues.
The remaining lanes are expected to reopen once the vehicle has been safely removed from the carriageway, with normal traffic conditions expected to return by 1:15pm later today.
National Highways is still working to clear debris off the roads, adding that the driver of the lorry "was fine" following the fire.
As with all motorways in the UK, there is always the risk of an accident on the M1, with the RAC explaining that drivers should always check for traffic news before setting off to avoid incidents impacting journeys.
The RAC shared: "The stretch between junctions 21 and 22 has also seen recent accidents, resulting in lane closures, while the area between junctions 12 and 13 - in the Bedford region - has been considered an accident hotspot."
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The lorry fire was put out by emergency services at around 6:45am
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds and stretches 193.6 miles in length. It also connects to several other motorways, with junctions providing access to the M25, M45, M6, M69, M18, M62, M621 and A1M.
