A runway at Heathrow Airport was temporarily closed on Wednesday after a grassfire broke out nearby, with reports of delays to flights.
A photograph shared on social media from inside the airport appeared to show smoke rising over the runway area as the incident unfolded.
Crews from London Fire Brigade were called to the blaze at around 5.30pm and the fire was brought under control by 6.07pm.
According to Aviation News UK, at least 18 inbound flights were diverted this evening as a result of the incident.
Five planes were diverted to Stansted, five to Gatwick, three to Manchester and one each to Birmingham, Luton, Paris CDG, Cairo and Billund.
In an update on Wednesday, Heathrow Airport said both runways are now fully operational, as they apologised for any disruption caused.
🚨 I’m not know for breaking news… but there’s a fire near the runway at Heathrow which is delaying all flights… here’s my view from the terminal…#heathrow #breakingnews #jameswade #rovingreporter pic.twitter.com/ru9Wb5uJgx
— James Wade (@JamesWade180) August 6, 2026
Flight tracking accounts reported aircraft were being held, while another source said the blaze had been extinguished.
Normal operations are beginning to resume, according to Aviation News UK, but passengers are warned disruption is expected to continue throughout the day.
Travellers have been advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said: “Earlier today, our teams acted quickly to safely resolve a small grass fire adjacent to the Southern Runway.
“Thanks to their swift response, both runways are now fully operational. A huge thank you to everyone involved.
“We apologise for any disruption and thank passengers for their patience and understanding. We wish everyone a safe onward journey.”
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said: “London Fire Brigade was called to reports of a fire on an area of grass near a runway at Heathrow Airport.
“Around one hectare of grassland was destroyed by the fire. Crews from the Brigade were supported by the airport's fire service as they worked to bring the incident under control.
“The Brigade was first called about the incident at 1737, and crews had the fire under control by 1807.
“Firefighters from Heathrow, Hayes and Feltham fire stations attended the scene.”
