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Major road closed by lorry and hay bale fire

Harriet HeywoodCambridgeshire
News imageCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service A large truck is severely burned, with its front cab blackened and charred. Smoke rises from the vehicle. Burned hay is scattered across the road. Another vehicle, possibly a tow truck, is parked nearby. The sky is mostly clear with a few clouds.Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
About 30 firefighters from Huntingdon, St Neots, Gamlingay, Stanground and Chatteris were at the scene

Part of a major road was closed following a lorry fire.

Six fire service crews were called to the A14 in Cambridgeshire at 11:30 BST on Thursday after several tonnes of hay bales caught fire.

The road was shut westbound between Brampton Hut near Huntingdon and Thrapston in Northamptonshire.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said the road reopened at about 07:30 on Friday.

News imageCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service A firefighter in full gear battles a large roadside blaze involving a burning stack of hay or straw on a lorry. Thick black and white smoke billows into the sky as hoses stretch across the road and pavement. The A14 is bordered by trees and bushes, under a partly cloudy daytime sky.Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
A recovery company would be used to take the water drenched straw away from the scene in batches

Crews said they would work to clear the road, but the lorry contained many tonnes of straw that had been baled, making it difficult to get water into the load.

A teleporter was used to lift the straw off the lorry so firefighters could rake through it to break it up before dousing the load.

"This is an arduous process which is taking several hours. It is likely this will continue into the evening," said a spokesperson.

"Please be reassured crews are working as hard as they can with the recovery company and everyone else involved to get the road cleared so it can opened again."

The road remained closed on Thursday evening as it needed to be repaired following the fire.

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