London highway still closed after fire

The M1 in North London remained closed late Friday after a fire in an automobile junkyard under an elevated section of the highway. Officials said the shutdown was expected to last at least until noon Saturday. It could be longer if an inspection finds damage to the roadway from the blaze. "We are working as fast as we can to reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so," a spokesman for the Highways Association said. Major traffic jams were predicted, with two Football Association soccer semi-finals scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Wembley Stadium in South London. This weekend is also the beginning of the Easter holidays for many people. The fire was reported early Friday morning. No one was injured, but about 50 people living in the area were evacuated Friday and rail service was shut down temporarily on a line to the Midlands.