A dramatic car fire involving a Porsche caused major disruption on the M25, bringing the busy orbital motorway to a grinding halt for over two and a half hours.
Clockwise Carnage on the M25
The incident occurred on the clockwise carriageway between Junction 25 for Waltham Cross and Junction 27 for the M11. It was first reported at around 1.45pm on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Dramatic images released by National Highways showed firefighters battling intense flames as thick, grey smoke billowed from the luxury vehicle. Social media footage captured the alarming moment, with two people seen standing safely at the roadside watching the scene unfold.
Severe Delays and Lengthy Closure
The blaze led to the immediate closure of lanes on one of the UK's busiest roads. By 2.48pm, three of the four lanes had reopened, but one lane remained shut with traffic officers on the scene.
The closure caused huge queues and severe delays for countless motorists. Official diversion routes were put in place, advising drivers to leave the M25 and take the A10 towards London, then the first exit onto the A406 North Circular Road towards the M11, Walthamstow, and Edmonton.
All lanes were finally reopened by 4.38pm, as confirmed by National Highways East in a post on social media platform X. Images from the aftermath revealed the Porsche was almost entirely destroyed, reduced to a burnt-out shell.
Further Disruption Across the Network
The Porsche fire was not the only incident causing travel woes on Saturday. Elsewhere, the M61 southbound between Manchester and Preston faced disruption for nearly an hour following a collision. Two lanes were closed between Junctions 2 and 1 from around 12.20pm, with traffic returning to normal after 1pm.
In a separate and serious incident on Friday night, a woman was left fighting for her life after a collision on the A19 in Holystone, North Tyneside, at around 10.40pm. Northumbria Police arrested two men, aged in their 20s and 30s, on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The road section remained closed into Saturday afternoon, reopening at around 3.30pm.
