Major disruption as grass fire halts all trains to Heathrow Airport

A grass fire has led to widespread disruption at Heathrow Airport, with all trains between London Paddington and the airport's terminals, as well as Reading, halted. National Rail announced major delays and cancellations, predicting the situation would persist until Saturday night. The fire, which ignited near Scrubs Lane in North Kensington, prompted the deployment of six fire engines and forty crew members from London Fire Brigade.

The incident follows a separate grass fire on Heathrow's airfield earlier in the day, which forced the closure of the southern runway and resulted in at least two flights being diverted. Earlier, Heathrow's southern runway had to be temporarily closed due to another grass fire on the airfield, causing minor disruptions for some travelers.

Despite recent cooling weather following a summer heatwave, fire crews have remained vigilant about wildfire risks, with the Met Office's Fire Severity Index indicating exceptional fire danger in southeast England and parts of London, including Heathrow.