THE LORRY blaze that shut a main Yorkshire motorway for a couple of hours cost the economy millions of pounds.
The M62 westbound was closed between Brighouse to Ainley Top from 7.20am to shortly after 9am yesterday and three of the four lanes in the other direction were also shut.
The lorry was loaded with bleach and aerosols which exploded in the searing heat.
The westbound lanes were slowly reopened during the morning with one lane running from 9.10am, two from 9.40am and the final two at 1pm.
Business experts reckon that closing the motorway and the chaos it causes with queuing traffic and roads around clogged up costs the economy £1m a minute.
This accounts for people missing work and deliveries not arriving when they should.
The blaze was a tough one for firefighters.
Crew manager Paul Mellor from Huddersfield fire station said: “It was quite hair-raising at times. They were only fairly small aerosols, but were popping and banging all the time we were there.
“The fire had spread from the wheel into the main part of the trailer by the time we arrived.
“There was a problem with water because we were on the motorway, but we eventually got into a hydrant at the Clough House pub in Rastrick,” said Mr Mellor.
