Scrapyard fire shuts M1 in London

Closure between junctions one and four could last for up to 24 hours, threatening travel disruption for FA Cup semi-final A scrapyard fire has closed a large stretch of both sides of the M1 in north London, causing gridlock on the roads as well as disruption to peaktime rail services. Scores of firefighters were called to the blaze at Mill Hill at about 4am and have spent the morning battling the flames directly under the motorway and cooling a number of gas cylinders nearby to try to prevent any explosions. The closure could last for up to 24 hours and threatens to cause problems for fans driving to Wembley for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Manchester City. The motorway was closed between junctions one and four, at Brent Cross and Elstree, as the fire brigade set up a temporary hazard zone. Forty firefighters and eight fire engines were at the scene. Train services have been disrupted, with Thameslink, Southeastern and East Midlands trains all experiencing delays as a result of the fire. A London fire brigade spokesperson said: “Firefighters from Wembley, Harrow and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. It is too soon to say what caused the blaze but the cause will be under investigation.” Station manager Dave Bird, who was at the scene, said: “The scrapyard is close to a residential area so a number of people have been evacuated from nearby houses as a precaution. We’re obviously aware this is causing some disruption so our crews are working really hard to bring the flames under control.” No injuries have been reported. London Road transport Karen McVeigh guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 15, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.