Skip to content

Large lorry fire closes A465 Heads of the Valleys Road

BBC Tyres on fire in the roadBBC
The lorry was carrying tyres which then caught fire

A major road in south Wales is expected to remain closed overnight after a lorry carrying tyres caught fire.

The A465 Heads of the Valleys road is shut to traffic from Dowlais Top to Cefn Coed in Merthyr Tydfil while fire crews tend to the blaze.

The fire was reported at just before 16:00 BST on Wednesday and smoke could be seen for miles around.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the road would remain closed until Thursday morning.

The nearby Pant Industrial Estate is also closed to traffic, police said.

An excavation vehicle has been called in to move tyres away from the lorry to make it easier for two fire crews to tackle the flames.

In a separate incident, a crash involving a motorcyclist has led to hold-ups on the nearby A470.

Police shut the road between the Abercanaid roundabout, Merthyr Tydfil, and Abercynon roundabout, Rhondda Cynon Taff, while an air ambulance was called to the scene.

Dean Richards Black smoke billowing from the lorryDean Richards
The fire was on the Heads of the Valleys road

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
@SWP_Roads Twitter Fire engine with lots of black smoke and flames surrounding a burnt out lorry@SWP_Roads Twitter
Five crews have been sent to the blaze
Clare Davies Smoke from the fire behind shopsClare Davies
Black smoke from the fire can be seen across Merthyr Tydfil
South Wales Police A blackened lorry carcassSouth Wales Police
The latest images from South Wales Police appear to show significantly less flames and smoke