Investigations are continuing into the cause of a trailer fire, which partially blocked traffic on the M1 Motorway at Morisset at Lake Macquarie.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews were called to extinguish the blaze about 12.45pm on Thursday 11 January.
Motorists reported a large cloud of thick, black smoke emanating from the trailer as the Prime Mover drove south.
The driver, once alerted, pulled the rig to the side of the freeway and used an emergency telephone to contact authorities.
Five FRNSW appliances, from Lake Macquarie and Central Coast stations, assisted by NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) tankers, NSW Police and NSW Ambulance, rushed to the scene.
Thankfully, the driver managed to disconnect the burning trailer, containing a load of scrap metal.
Two southbound lanes of the M1 were blocked as firefighters sprayed the load with water and foam.
Crews then towed the trailer to nearby Old Maitland Road where they could better access the wreckage and extinguish the blaze.
There were no reports of injury arising from the incident.
It took fire crews almost three-and-a-half hours to douse the flames and complete mopping-up operations.
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