Morning traffic on Madrid’s M-40 was disrupted at Arroyo Fresno when a car caught fire around 8:00 a.m. at kilometer 52, heading toward the A6. Flames and thick smoke rose over the highway, forcing firefighters to close two lanes. No one was hurt in the fire. On the other side, two cars collided in a chain-reaction crash, leaving two people with minor injuries. Samur-Protección Civil medics treated them at the scene.
Madrid’s fire brigade arrived at 8:10 a.m. and put out the fire by 8:30 a.m. Its cause remains unknown. Telemadrid reported that the fire led to a traffic jam stretching more than 10 kilometers.
The two incidents caused gridlock on one of Madrid’s busiest roads, with lanes blocked in both directions and commuters facing long delays. A separate accident that morning on the M-503 near Majadahonda also caused delays of several kilometers, information from Telemadrid and La Razón. Municipal authorities had warned of an increased congestion risk due to expected rain on October 6 and recommended using public transport as a precaution.
The jam lingered even after the fire was out, leaving thousands of drivers stuck. A recent report on modern cars points out that even new vehicles can break down without warning.
Madrid’s emergency teams responded quickly, but the incidents show how a sudden event can bring traffic to a standstill. The fire’s cause is still unclear, while the M-40 disruption shows how a single breakdown can snarl traffic across the city.
