irefighters tackle the lorry blaze on the M5 near Exeter as the vehicle’s contents spill across the carriageway. Credit: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
Search
17 Oct 2025
Search
17 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
irefighters tackle the lorry blaze on the M5 near Exeter as the vehicle’s contents spill across the carriageway. Credit: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed the cause of a lorry fire which led to long delays on the M5 in Devon on October 15.
The fire service told Exeter Today the blaze was most likely caused by a lithium-ion battery.
The incident happened on the northbound side of the motorway between junctions 30 and 29 in Exeter at around 11.35am.
READ NEXT: Hundreds of Exeter motorists caught as new enforcement cameras go live
National Highways said the lorry was carrying 20 tonnes of household waste and electrical items, including batteries and domestic appliances.
At one stage, queues stretched for nine miles, with diversions and significant delays in place while emergency services worked to bring the fire under control.
The road reopened at around 9.10pm, but motorists were advised to expect continued delays while traffic cleared.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
