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Heathrow Fire Closes Runway and Delays Flights
Published 01:17 7 Aug 2026 BST
Updated 00:03 7 Aug 2026 BST
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Heathrow Fire Closes Runway and Delays Flights
A Heathrow fire briefly shut one of the airport's runways and delayed flights on Thursday evening, after a grass blaze broke out adjacent to the southern runway. London Fire Brigade said around one hectare of grassland was scorched, while a photograph shared from inside a terminal showed thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Some departures were briefly suspended as crews tackled the flames. The airport switched to using its north runway for both arrivals and departures while the affected grass area was dampened down and emergency vehicles were cleared. The scare followed other recent aviation dramas over the capital, including a British Airways mayday flight above London.
Heathrow Fire Extinguished, Both Runways Operational
"Earlier our teams responded to a small grass fire adjacent to the southern runway. The fire has been extinguished, both runways are operational and flights continue to arrive and depart from the airport,"
a Heathrow spokesperson said, apologising for "any disruption caused as a result or while emergency services completed their safety checks".
Passengers were still warned to expect knock-on delays and diversions for several hours as schedules recovered. Travellers were advised to check with their airline, with the Independent's live coverage tracking the latest updates before departure.
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