A LORRY trailer carrying dozens of hay bales of hay was turned into a blazing inferno after it caught fire at the Air Balloon roundabout near Crickley Hill.
The blaze brought traffic on the A417 and A436 near Birdlip to a standstill and caused long tailbacks.
Two fire engines were called to the main road at around 6pm this evening during rush hour traffic.
The lorry-load of hay was soon engulfed in flames, sending plumes of smoke high into the air.
Two teams of firefighters battled the blaze for more than 20 minutes.
Eye witness Caroline Baird told the SNJ: “You could smell the smoke from a mile away.
“The fire was huge. It started with a few bales at the back of the lorry and then got slowly bigger and bigger.
“People started climbing up and trying to put it out with bottles of water, but the fire got too strong and it engulfed the whole lorry.”
The cause of the fire cannot be confirmed.
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