A car burst into flames on the North Circular Road in Ilford, prompting 39 calls to the London Fire Brigade and a major emergency response, though no injuries have been reported and the cause remains unknown.
A car burst into flames on the North Circular Road in Ilford, east London, sending plumes of black smoke into the air and prompting a large emergency response. According to the London Fire Brigade’s emergency log, the fire broke out at approximately 7.51pm on 2 September on the A406, one of London’s major orbital routes. The blaze generated 39 separate calls to the fire brigade, indicating the flames and smoke were highly visible to motorists travelling along the busy carriageway.
Eyewitness accounts
A mother of two from Edmonton, north London, who was driving on the opposite side of the North Circular from the burning vehicle, described feeling the heat from the flames. “We were coming home from the Southend after a visit to a theme park,” she said. “We saw two people running down the road away from the car. There was so much traffic the police and ambulances were struggling to get to the burning car. We could feel the heat from the other side of the road. We thought it was all going to blow.”
There is currently no reported evidence that anyone was trapped inside the vehicle. The eyewitness account of two people running away is consistent with the car’s occupants escaping before it became fully engulfed, though authorities have not formally confirmed their identities.
Traffic disruption
The fire caused one lane of the A406 to close, with a tailback forming as drivers slowed down and changed lanes to avoid the scene. Traffic on the route was already heavy enough to make it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach the burning car, adding to the disruption caused by the incident.
Fire brigade response
The London Fire Brigade sent two fire engines to the scene, from Ilford and Stratford fire stations, after receiving the first of 39 calls reporting the fire. Crews had the blaze under control by 8.36pm, meaning the main firefighting operation lasted roughly 45 minutes from the first emergency call to the fire being brought under control.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Firefighters responded to a car fire on the A406 in Ilford. A single petrol car was destroyed by the fire, and there are no reports of any injuries. The Brigade received the first of 39 calls reporting the fire at 19.51. Two fire engines were sent to the scene from Ilford and Stratford fire stations. Crews had the fire under control by 20.36, when the scene was left in the care of the Metropolitan Police Service.”
The vehicle has been officially described as a single petrol-powered car that was completely destroyed in the fire. There is no indication from the available reports that an electric or hybrid vehicle was involved. No injuries have been reported, either among the occupants of the vehicle or other road users.
What happens next
The Metropolitan Police took control of the scene once firefighters had dealt with the blaze, though there is currently no indication that officers are treating the incident as a deliberate attack or arson. The Sun Online has contacted the Met Police for further comment.
The cause of the fire remains the key unanswered question. Until either the Metropolitan Police or the London Fire Brigade provides a formal determination, possibilities such as mechanical failure, an electrical fault, overheating or a collision should not be presented as established facts.
Context: the North Circular Road
The A406, officially known as the North Circular Road, is a 26-mile semi-circular ring road spanning suburban north London from Chiswick in the west to North Woolwich in the east, carrying substantial commuter and commercial traffic throughout the day. The route has seen other serious vehicle fires in recent months, including a lorry fire in August that caused lane closures and significant traffic delays, though there is no evidence connecting that earlier incident to Tuesday’s car fire.
Social media users reacted to footage of the blaze shared online, with one writing: “Someone’s having a proper s**t day,” while another commented: “Omgggg so bad,” and a third added: “That’s one burnt car.”
