Heathrow runway is closed by grass fire as flights are disrupted

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 09:14 EDT, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 09:49 EDT, 5 September 2026 A Heathrow runway was closed by a grass fire today as several flights were disrupted. Britain's biggest airport's southern runway was forced to close as the fire took hold – sparking chaos.Firefighters and emergency services rushed to the scene to tackle the fire. One flight from San Francisco was diverted away from Heathrow towards Manchester and another from San Diego was made to land in Birmingham. Video footage shows plumes of smoke drifting across Heathrow's southern runway near a Qantas passenger jet. Flyers vented their frustration on social media. One said: 'The one time I fly from Heathrow, it’s down to one runway and the trains down are disrupted by swans on the tracks. Can’t make it up.'Another added: 'Fun morning at London Heathrow Airport with a grass fire being dealt with beside runway 27L. Video footage shows plumes of smoke drifting across Heathrow's southern runway near a Qantas passenger jet A Heathrow runway was closed by a grass fire today as several flights were disrupted'Despite the recent rain, the grass is still like a tinderbox.' Heathrow confirmed in a statement that the runway has now reopened.It said: 'Earlier today our teams acted quickly to safely resolve a grass fire adjacent to the southern runway. Thanks to their swift response, the fire was extinguished quickly and both runways are fully operational. 'A huge thank you to everyone involved. We apologise for any disruption and thank passengers for their patience and understanding. We wish everyone a safe onward journey.' In early August flights were disrupted after a grass fire ignited near Heathrow's southern runway. One hectare of grassland was destroyed by the fire as 18 inbound flights were diverted to other airports.