Published: August 17, 2008
M5 motorway re-opens after car fire at Burnham-On-Sea

Long queues developed on the M5 motorway at Burnham-On-Sea on Sunday morning (August 17th) as emergency services tackled a car fire.

Fire crews were called to the southbound carriageway, several hundred metres south of junction 22 at Burnham, at 9.30am after the car was well alight.

Police closed all three lanes of the southbound carriageway and only one lane was open going northbound.

The Highways Agency also shut the M5 entry slip at Burnham's junction 22 to prevent motorists joining the queues. The A38 was very busy through Highbridge.

"Two fire engines from Burnham and Weston-super-Mare were mobilised following multiple calls from the public to a car fire," a fire spokesman told Burnham-On-Sea.com.

"Crews extinguished the fire using one hose reel jet to make the vehicle safe. The fire caused 70% fire damage, 20% heat and 10% smoke damage. There were no casualties."

Pictured above is the scene of the fire on Sunday morning