Car fire on A2: Family saves itself from blazing fire in time!

Car fire on A2: Family saves itself from blazing fire in time!

On the night of December 23, 2025, there was a car fire on the A2 motorway in the direction of Hanover. The incident occurred around 12:53 a.m. near the “Schwatten Paul Nature Reserve” motorway bridge. According to Fireworld, the Porta Westfalica Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to a car fire in which a Ford was fully ablaze on the hard shoulder.

The family, consisting of two adults and a child, were able to get out of the vehicle uninjured. Before the fire department arrived, the occupants took their luggage out of the trunk to safety. After initial investigations, it was determined that the cause of the fire was probably an ignition in the engine compartment of the vehicle, which led to significant smoke and required the A2 to be completely closed.

Firefighting measures and traffic impacts

The fire department immediately took action against the flames with a team wearing heavy breathing apparatus and a C-pipe. In addition, measures were taken with foam agents to combat embers. A salvage company finally took over the removal of the vehicle wreckage. While the fire was being extinguished, the A2 in the direction of Hanover was completely closed, which resulted in significant traffic delays. Only after a diversion could traffic be temporarily diverted to one lane and later to two lanes.

A similar incident occurred on Monday evening, December 22, 2025, between the Ost and Buchholz motorway intersections, where a larger SUV burst into flames on the hard shoulder. In this case too, there were no injuries. The driver was able to get out of his vehicle in time. The Hanover regional control center reported the fire at 6:20 p.m., whereupon a fire department from the Hanover fire department and the Misburg local fire department were deployed. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the vehicle could no longer be saved and the highway had to be completely closed for the duration of the extinguishing work, according to City News Hannover.

Fire causes and trends

The causes of car fires are a topic of increasing interest. According to current statistics from the Institute for Loss Prevention and Loss Research of Public Insurers (IFS), around 2,000 fire cause investigations are carried out every year, with electrical problems and human error being the most common causes. In recent years, an increase in battery fires has also been noted, which is due to the increasing number of battery-operated devices, as Feuertrutz reports. This information underscores the importance of taking preventive measures to prevent fires and raising awareness of possible fire hazards on the road.

Overall, the two incidents on the A2 show that car fires represent a serious danger and that rapid action by emergency services and effective security of the scene are essential.