Issued in conjunction with Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service.

10 June 2009

Firefighters were called to a petrol tanker containing 30,000 litres of petrol and diesel on fire on the M40 last night.

It was on the hard shoulder in the Stokenchurch cutting, between junctions 6 and 5 on the London bound carriageway.

A total of eight Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire fire appliances - from Thame, Watlington, Slade Park, Stokenchurch and High Wycombe - attended, along with foam tenders from Wheatley and Princes Risborough, a water carrier from Waddesdon, Incident Command Unit from Woodstock, Environmental Protection Unit from Rewley Road, rescue tender from Kidlington, Incident Support Unit from Eynsham and flatbed with extra foam supplies from Kidlington.

The first of around 20 calls to the incident was made at 8.32pm. Initial crews from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire were faced with a rapidly developing fire in an articulated fuel tanker containing 15,000 litres of petrol and 15,000 litres of diesel.

Fire crews working with Thames Valley Police and the Highways Agency managed to bring the incident under control within three hours. The tanker cab and two thirds of the load were destroyed by fire. 

Firefighters continued to cool the tanker so that the remaining fuel could be safely decanted.

Both carriageways were closed for some time, with vehicles being turned back along the opposite carriageway through the central reservation to clear traffic.

The fire and rescue services are currently assisting the Environment Agency to contain the water and fuel run-off and minimise damage to the environment.