Grass fire forces closure of Heathrow's southern runway, disrupting several flights
A grass fire on Heathrow's southern runway caused a temporary shutdown, leading to flight diversions and delays.
Firefighters responded to a grass fire that ignited adjacent to Heathrow Airport's southern runway, forcing the runway to be closed for safety reasons. The incident disrupted multiple flights, including a service from San Francisco that was diverted to Manchester and another from San Diego that landed in Birmingham. Video showed smoke drifting over the runway near a Qantas aircraft, and travelers voiced their annoyance online.
Heathrow issued a statement confirming that the fire was quickly contained and both runways are now fully operational. The airport apologized for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their patience.
Why it matters
Disruptions at a major hub like Heathrow can affect thousands of travelers and airline schedules.
In this story
