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Vehicle Fire at Heathrow Terminal 5 Extinguished

Published 21 January 2026

A vehicle fire erupted outside Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport this morning, producing thick plumes of black smoke visible from nearby roads and rail lines, but emergency teams extinguished the blaze quickly with no injuries reported.

The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. on the Terminal 5 Departures forecourt, where a diesel-powered car burst into flames. Witnesses captured images and videos on social media showing the vehicle fully engulfed, with flames reducing it to a charred frame and halting traffic in the area. One video depicted the car parked near a pedestrian crossing, with a queue of vehicles forming behind it as smoke billowed skyward.

Heathrow Airport officials responded immediately, containing the fire before it could spread further. "Earlier this morning our teams responded to a vehicle fire on the Terminal 5 Departures forecourt," a spokesperson said. "The fire was extinguished quickly and there were no injuries. The airport is now operating as usual." The rapid response prevented any significant delays to flights or passenger operations, though the visible smoke and temporary road closure caused brief chaos for early-morning travelers and passing...

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