All traffic has been temporarily stopped on the M25 clockwise at Swanley following a vehicle fire, with long queues building through one of the motorway’s busiest interchanges in south-east London.
Emergency services are on the scene near Junction 3, where the M25 meets the M20, and motorists are being held while crews deal with the blaze. The incident was first logged as an obstruction on the carriageway before traffic cameras confirmed that a vehicle was on fire.
This is a developing story. Live updates are being added as they come in below.
There is no official word yet on what caused the fire or whether anyone has been hurt. Kent Fire and Rescue Service has been approached for a statement.
Where the hold-up is
The stoppage is on the clockwise carriageway at Swanley, just past Junction 3 — the key junction where the M25 crosses the M20, the main route down to Kent, Folkestone and the Channel crossings. Traffic heading clockwise has been brought to a standstill, and queues were stretching back from the scene as the evening wore on.
Junction 3 is one of the hardest-working junctions on the London orbital. Drivers leaving the M25 for the M20 at Swanley, and those continuing clockwise towards Dartford and the Dartford crossing, have been caught in the delays.
Timeline of the incident
The incident was first reported to traffic control shortly before 7.20pm as an obstruction on the carriageway. Within minutes, traffic cameras confirmed the obstruction was in fact a vehicle on fire, and controllers took the decision to stop all clockwise traffic at Swanley while the fire service responded.
Motorists on the clockwise carriageway were left stationary as crews worked at the scene, with traffic cameras showing heavy queues forming behind the closure point. As with similar fires on the orbital this month, residual delays were expected to persist for some time after the carriageway reopens, as the trapped traffic filters through.
If you are caught in the queue
Drivers already on the M25 clockwise approaching Swanley should expect to be held and are advised to follow any instructions from traffic officers on the scene. There is no confirmed reopening time yet, and nobody should attempt to turn around or leave the carriageway except where directed.
Motorists planning to join the clockwise M25 near Swanley or the wider orbital network this evening may want to delay their journeys or allow significantly more time than usual until the scene is cleared.
What happens next
Once the fire itself is out, the carriageway rarely reopens straight away. Firefighters typically have to check the burnt-out vehicle for any hazardous materials, while recovery crews move the wreck and traffic officers sweep the lanes for debris, spilled fuel and oil. Even a relatively quick blaze can mean a lengthy closure while those checks are carried out.
The carriageway surface itself may also need inspection. Intense heat from a vehicle fire can damage the road surface, and the full extent is not always clear until the vehicle has been removed. Only when the fire service and National Highways are satisfied the road is safe will lanes begin to reopen, usually one at a time.
A busy month on the orbital
It has been a difficult few weeks for drivers on the London orbital and its approaches. A crash on the M25 near Dartford brought traffic to a standstill earlier in the week, and there have been several closures and delays on surrounding routes as the autumn traffic builds. Each time, the message from the motorway authorities is the same: check conditions before setting off, and be ready for a long wait if you are caught behind an incident.
Updates will appear in the live feed above as the situation develops.
