M25 Reopens After Lorry Fire Causes Major Delays
A stretch of the motorway was closed anti-clockwise between Junctions 5 and 4 following a vehicle fire near Orpington.
Trust 42Craft 55Hype 70How this was reported ▾
Single source, no named official or document cited for the closure claim.
How well corroborated and evidenced the reporting is. Higher is better.
No affected parties or responsible body quoted; vague figures.
Context, balance and separation of fact from comment. Higher is better.
Headline overstates incident with 'huge' and 'erupts into flames' vs body's 'fire'.
How far presentation runs ahead of substance. Lower is better.
2 sources assessed · methodology
A section of the M25 was closed on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, after a lorry caught fire near Orpington. The anti-clockwise route between Junction 5 and Junction 4 was affected, leading to substantial traffic congestion.
The incident, which saw the fire service attending to the vehicle, caused delays of up to 45 minutes on the approach to the closure. Congestion extended back to Clacket Lane Services.
M25 Crash Blocks Dartford Crossing Bridge
Drivers faced severe delays on the M25 approach to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge following a collision.
Impact on M20 traffic
The disruption also extended to the M20, where traffic travelling towards London experienced delays of approximately 50 minutes. This affected the stretch between Junction 2 and Junction 1.
Current situation
M25 Delays After Morning Crashes Cause Miles of Queues
Drivers faced significant disruption on the motorway following multiple incidents during the morning commute.
All lanes on the M25 have since reopened. However, drivers are still facing residual delays of up to 55 minutes on the approach to the affected area.
Questions this report answers
+Why was the M25 closed?
The M25 was closed between Junction 5 and Junction 4 anti-clockwise on September 1, 2026, because a lorry caught fire near Orpington. The fire service attended the scene to deal with the incident.
+How long were the delays?
On the M25, delays of up to 45 minutes were reported on the approach to the closure. London-bound traffic on the M20 experienced delays of around 50 minutes.
+Are the roads clear now?
All lanes on the M25 have reopened following the lorry fire. However, there are still residual delays of up to 55 minutes on the approach to the affected section.
WE FILE
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The London Travel Desk assembled this report from the outlets listed below. Language-model drafting is reviewed under human editorial supervision, with scoring notes and corrections kept visible.