A major crash involving two trucks and a roadworks vehicle resulted in a large fire on the M1 Pacific Motorway Northbound near Morisset, causing extensive delays and necessitating a large-scale emergency response late last night.

The incident occurred just before Mandalong Road when one of the trucks ran into the back of a stationary work vehicle, sending both the work vehicle and truck into the bush. Both vehicles were heavily damaged.

Emergency services were quick to respond, with a bulk tanker arriving on the scene to combat the fire. However, the tanker soon ran low on water, prompting calls for additional support from surrounding regions. Traffic began to back up as far as Sparks Road, with authorities closing the road in the northbound direction to prevent further congestion.

Incident Timeline

The incident occured at around 10:20am, as of 11:19 PM, firefighters had managed to control the fire, though it was not fully extinguished. By 11:20 PM, Sparks Road was closed to prevent more vehicles from entering the blocked motorway. Shortly after, at 11:24 PM, photos of the crash site were sent to O’Neills Heavy Towing and Salvage, who were dispatched to assist with the cleanup.

Despite the efforts to control the situation, the water supply remained a concern, and more bulk tankers were requested. At 11:28 PM, an ambulance transported a 30-year-old male to John Hunter Hospital with lacerations, back pain, and other injuries.

As the night progressed, at 12:02 AM, Transport for NSW began laying out cones for traffic diversions. Fire trucks were attempted to be coordinated to allow some vehicles to start moving. By 12:07 AM, the fire was fully extinguished, and Fire + Rescue NSW worked to cool down the site. The fire’s impact on the surrounding bushland was minimal.

The incident was declared a HAZMAT situation at 12:23 AM, as authorities assessed diesel leaks on the tanker. The complexity of the situation grew, with discussions around replacing ambulance staff who had finished their shifts. Efforts to stand down fire vehicles began at 12:47 AM, with preparations made to move all trucks into lane 1 to reopen lane 2 for traffic, as of writing this article, no lanes had been opened yet.

Salvage operations continued into the early hours, and at 1:24 AM, it was confirmed that diesel had leaked from a tank. Fire + Rescue may need to return for further cleanup. Transport for NSW took over the site recovery operations.

By 2:57 AM, live updates from us ceased and the Northbound carriageway remains closed. Motorists were advised to follow alternative routes or delay travel, with light vehicles using Sparks Road and local diversions, and heavy vehicles directed to Sparks Road and the Pacific Highway.

The M1 was finally re-opened fully at 6:15am

Video Of Fire

Earlier Live Blog:

EARLIER LIVE BLOG: MAJOR INCIDENT: CRASH 3 trucks, FIRE! – M1 Pacific Motorway NSW Morisset approaching Mandalong Road. Road closed in Northbound Direction. One trailer and a prime mover is in the bush, along with a roadworks vehicle which was hit by the truck. A bulk tanker has just arrived onsite to tackle the fire however there are concerns as it is running out of water so other regions are being paged to attend the incident. There will also be a closure put in place shortly of Sparks Road to prevent users entering the M1 Pacific Motorway which is closed in a northbound direction. As of 11:19pm the fire is now under control, but not out. Traffic is backed up to Sparks Road. As of 11:20pm the closure has been put on Sparks Road, they are now trying to close the loop. Heavy traffic conditions. At 11:24pm they confirmed photos were sent to O’Neills Heavy Towing and Salvage who will attend site to salvage the trucks. At 11:25pm They are requesting Bulk Tanker 464 because they are running low on water. At 11:28pm Ambulance was on route to John Hunter Hospital with a 30yo male onboard, he had lacerations, back pain and several other injuries. At 11:35pm Hazmat is being requested for breathing cylinders. At 11:36pm there are still serious concerns about water supply, and they are continuing to request bulk tankers, the vehicles are still alight. At 12:02am Transport for NSW completed laying out cones for diversions, they are now going to request fire trucks to be moved so they can get some vehicles moving so they can try and get cars moving again. At 12:07am Fire had been extinguished, Fire + Rescue NSW are currently cooling down the site. Fire impact to bushland is minimal. At 12:23am the command post on scene declared it a HAZMAT incident. They are currently assessing if there is a diesel leak on the tanker. Once they declare the site safe, they will be able to move the trucks, but for now, Northbound lanes will remain blocked. At 12:40am there are some discussions about the complexities about accessing the site for replacement ambulance staff as the staff onsite have already finished their shift. At 12:47am they will start standing down fire vehicles and they are in the process of moving all trucks into lane 1 so lane 2 can be opened to traffic. At 12:53am local ambulance started standing down, a Point Clare crew took over. At 1:02am we found out Salvage Operations are still in progress to clear the road. At 1:24am They found out all the diesel leaked out from a tank; they may need Fire + Rescue to return later to clean it up. Fire + Rescue said that Transport for NSW are now in charge of the site, including the recovery and site operations. This ends our live coverage, for the latest on when the road will re-open, visit www.livetraffic.com. Expect significant delays. Emergency Services are attending. Delay Northbound Travel. Light vehicles can use Sparks Rd and then local diversions. Heavy vehicles can use Sparks Rd and Pacific Hwy. The M1 was finally re-opened fully at 6:15am

Livetraffic Update: https://www.livetraffic.com/incident-details/204028