A4 adventure: Truck fire causes motorway closures for hours!

A4 adventure: Truck fire causes motorway closures for hours!

On September 20, 2025, Autobahn 4 between Bad Hersfeld and Kirchheim was closed for several hours after a spectacular truck fire. At around 4:30 a.m., the 47-year-old driver of a Polish tractor-trailer noticed smoke in the engine compartment while he was in the construction site area. Fortunately, he was able to exit his vehicle uninjured before the fire broke out in full force. How World Reportedly, the flame quickly spread to the trailer, which was loaded with spray cans.

The fire department from Kirchheim was quickly on site and took over the extinguishing work. Nevertheless, the A4 had to be completely closed in both directions to ensure the safety of the emergency services. The traffic jams extended to the Kirchheimer triangle in one direction and to the Bad Hersfeld junction in the other. The last vehicles heading towards Bad Hersfeld were able to leave the motorway by 10:30 a.m. At 8:10 a.m. this was already the case for all vehicles heading towards the Kirchheimer triangle.

Cause of fire and damage

The cause of the devastating fire is suspected to be a technical defect in the engine compartment of the truck HNA reported. The fire department had to use tankers to transport extinguishing water to the scene of the fire in order to extinguish the burning tractor-trailer. The material damage to the tractor-trailer amounts to around 100,000 euros, while the repair of the damaged road costs around 50,000 euros. Such fires are not only expensive, but also pose a significant risk to drivers and road users.

Like an analysis of the ADAC shows that there are numerous causes of truck fires. The most common include overheated tires or technical defects. Maintenance and careful driving are therefore crucial to prevent such incidents. There was a similar incident on Irschenberg the previous week, in which the damage was estimated at 200,000 euros.

Traffic disruptions and alternative routes

The Hönebach motorway maintenance department had closed the access roads to the A4 at the Kirchheimer triangle in order to redirect traffic. This also led to increased traffic volumes and further disruptions on the federal highways B62 and B324. Only one westbound lane was reopened as of 10:45 a.m., while the opposite direction remains closed for rescue work. The exact duration of this blockage was not foreseeable at the time of this report.

The incidents on the A4 illustrate the challenges in road traffic, especially when it comes to the safety of trucks and their loads. Drivers should regularly train how to use fire extinguishing equipment in order to be able to react appropriately in the event of a fire. “A good hand” when driving and during maintenance is the be-all and end-all here in order to avoid such incidents in the future.