M5 Southbound Closed: Rush Hour Chaos Follows car Transporter Fire
CULLOMPTON, DEVON – Significant delays are impacting M5 traffic this afternoon after a car transporter carrying nine electric vehicles caught fire, closing the southbound carriageway between junctions 28 (Cullompton) and 29 (near Honiton). The incident, first reported at 6:38 AM, has resulted in approximately four miles of congestion and delays of at least 45 minutes above normal journey times.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service dispatched six appliances and two water bowsers to the scene. Crews successfully extinguished the blaze by 1:23 PM, though temperatures of vehicles on the transporter’s lower deck are being monitored to ensure safe recovery. While the northbound carriageway has reopened, the southbound remains closed as recovery and cleanup operations continue.
“We were called at 6.38am to reports of a vehicle fire on the M5 between junctions 28 and 29,” a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and rescue Service stated. “On arrival, a car transporter carrying nine electric vehicles was fully involved in fire…Only a small fire involving cars on the top deck remains.”
Devon and Cornwall Police are collaborating with Highways to manage the traffic backlog. Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes and allow extra time for their journeys.
Updates are available via Devon Live’s live blog: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/live-m5-closed-vehicle-bursts-10540216