A tarmacking lorry burst into flames late on Tuesday night near the M8 motorway in Glasgow, prompting a large emergency response to New City Road close to Phoenix Road. The vehicle was destroyed in the blast, though no injuries have been reported.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that three fire appliances were sent to the scene after the incident began, with crews working to douse the flames before leaving once the area had been declared safe. According to the fire service, crews departed at around 01:30, though a regional broadcaster's report puts the time crews left the scene at closer to 01:40 on Wednesday, and states the initial emergency call came in at about 23:23, slightly later than the roughly 23:20 timing given elsewhere.
Residents in the area described a dramatic scene, with social media users reporting a loud bang or explosion audible near the city centre, accompanied by thick plumes of smoke. Footage circulating online showed firefighters dousing the wrecked lorry with water as it burned.
One local resident told a reporter that he had been lying in bed when he noticed an orange glow through his curtains, which was followed almost immediately by a loud bang.
Why was a tarmacking lorry at the site?
The vehicle had been working as part of ongoing viaduct strengthening works on the M8, which are being carried out at the New City Road and Phoenix Road junction. Those works are intended to reinforce the structure of the motorway viaduct in the area.
How long have the roadworks been going on?
The viaduct strengthening project has been under way at this location since March 2021, according to a regional broadcaster's report, making it a long-running scheme rather than a short-term repair.
This is not the first vehicle fire to disrupt Glasgow streets or major Scottish routes in recent months. In August 2026, a bin lorry fire on Jamaica Street forced crews to dump burning waste in the street, prompting a union to warn that services were one fire away from a major disaster amid rising battery-related fire figures nationally. Separately, the A9 was closed in both directions in May 2026 after a lorry caught fire near Dunkeld, an incident that also drew a swift emergency response and resulted in no injuries.
Key Facts
- A tarmacking lorry caught fire late on Tuesday night on New City Road near Phoenix Road, Glasgow.
- The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent three appliances to tackle the blaze.
- Crews left the scene once it was made safe, with timings given as approximately 01:30 or 01:40, depending on the source.
- The lorry was working on M8 viaduct strengthening works that have been ongoing at the site since March 2021.
- No injuries have been reported in connection with the fire.
