Travel chaos on the M25 as drivers are engulfed by thick smoke after dry fields go up in flames

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:39, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 22:53, 17 July 2026 Drivers on the M25 were engulfed in thick plumes of smoke after dry fields went up in flames, sparking travel chaos on the first day of the summer holidays.  Shocking footage shows motorists unable to see more than a few metres ahead due to the blaze which broke out beside a busy stretch of the motorway this afternoon.  The fire quickly spread across 25 hectares of cut crop and the hedgerow of the M25 between junctions 27 and 28 at Brentwood, Essex, also caught alight.  The Essex Fire and Rescue Services said that crews had extinguished the fire and that it was left with the farmer by 5.04pm.  It comes amid an 'exceptionally' high risk of wildfires in areas of Britain following a two-week heatwave and no rain for a month in some parts of the country.  Wind speeds picked up earlier this week which led to heightened concerns about blazes.   The grass fire caused one lane of the M25 to be closed, with drivers experiencing severe delays.  Drivers on the M25 have been engulfed in thick plumes of smoke after dry fields went up in flames, sparking travel chaos on the first day of the summer holidays The fire quickly spread across 25 hectares of stubble and cut crop and the hedgerow of the M25 between junctions 27 and 28 at Brentwood, Essex, also caught alight The grass fire caused one lane of the M25 to be closed, with drivers experiencing severe delays A spokesman for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Services said: 'Crews extinguished a fire which was affecting 25 hectares of stubble and cut crop, the fire had spread onto hedgerow of the M25 Junction 27 to 28 anti-clockwise. Crews left the incident with the farmer by 5.04pm.'  The chaos comes as the rush to getaway for the school holidays began with many schools in England and Wales breaking up on Friday afternoon. Saturday is expected to be the busiest day on the roads for getaway journeys, with 3.8million planned.  A further 3.4million trips will be spread across the three-day period with drivers unsure which exact day they will hit the road, according to the motoring group. The Port of Dover in Kent was expecting 7,000 cars to pass on Friday, although the processing time for tourist traffic in the Buffer Zone at 9am was only 12 minutes. While the heatwave is officially expected to end at 14 days after today, the grip of the long and hot summer is set to last for at least seven to ten more days. Your browser does not support iframes. Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said: 'The settled and fine conditions people are currently enjoying look locked in for the next seven to 10 days and are likely to remain strong.' This weekend will see plenty of sunshine and dry weather, although there may be a few isolated showers and a dip in temperatures. Forecasters have said it is too soon to say whether the heatwave conditions will last beyond the next ten days and towards the end of July.  A number of wildfires have already swept across the country - with two young farm workers being hailed as heroes today for preventing a blaze spreading to a housing estate.  Jay Loft, 22, and Cameron Bartram, 19, reacted quickly when a blaze, which was started by a cigarette lighter, spread over 750 yards across wheat fields in the Woodthorpe area of York on Sunday afternoon. The duo had been working at a nearby site when they were called about the fire – and with landowner Russell Wagstaff 45 minutes away, they sprang into action. As the blaze headed towards homes, Mr Loft and Mr Bartram jumped into tractors and disced the fields to create a firebreak until the emergency services arrived. Dramatic video recorded from the tractors showed the fire just yards away from the machinery as huge plumes of smoke resulted in near-zero visibility on local roads. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service eventually brought the flames under control, but the suspected arson attack caused an estimated £30,000 of damage to crops.