The blaze started with smoke coming from underground outside Sundaes Gelato on Cowley Road on Sunday evening (Saturday, May 2).

Thames Valley Police cars and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service fire engines arrived at the scene shortly after, and a cordon was put in place with tape.

Members of the public were warned to get back away from the site with flames soon “erupting” from the smoke, according to onlookers.

READ MORE: Onlookers ‘scared’ as smoke rises from out of the ground in Oxford

Firefighters at the scene. (Image: Newsquest)

The road reopened around 11pm, but the site of the fire remains cordoned off after the blaze was extinguished.

Thames Valley Police has now issued a fresh statement this morning (Sunday, May 3) following the incident.

A spokesperson for the force said: “No arrests have been made, and the incident is not being treated as suspicious at this time.”

 Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has also been approached for comment.

More than 1,900 nominations were submitted for the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Staff Recognition Awards 2026, which celebrates the contributions of teams, individuals, volunteers and fundraisers across the trust.

The awards ceremony will take place on June 18 at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Douglas Graham, CEO of Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to support the Staff Recognition Awards once again this year and play our part in thanking NHS staff who drive innovation and provide outstanding levels of care.

“It’s always a truly inspiring evening, full of the very best of the NHS, and we are really looking forward to this special event.”

The awards are supported by Oxford Hospitals Charity and aim to shine a light on those who go above and beyond in their roles.

Winners will be announced during the ceremony.

Finalists for the Award for Compassion include acute rehab support workers from the Complex Medical Unit, Cara Heafey, Lucinda Milligan and Jason Rigby.

The Award for Delivery finalists are the Antenatal Infection Group MDT, Apprenticeship Team, Endoscopy Decontamination Team and the Southampton Oxford Retrieval Team (SORT).

Shortlisted for the Award for Excellence are the Sagittarius Team (University-NHS Ulcerative Colitis Flare Programme), Sterile Service Decontamination Department, Dr Garry Tan and Kerrie Woods.

In the Award for Improvement category, Abi Egid, the Emergency Department and Same Day Emergency Care Quality Improvement Team, Tissue Donation Team and Zoe Lewis are finalists.

Those recognised in the Award for Learning include Dr Abhisek Ghosh, Mr Alpesh Kothari, Katy Mimpress and Dr Adan Taylor.

Temitayo Alakiu, the Community Paediatrics Team, Jonathan Jenkinson and Sam Pemberton are up for the Award for Respect.

Rising Star finalists are Jay Gawali, Megan Green, Lucy Harold and Melissa Worth.

In the Award for Sustainability, the Oxford Kidney Unit, Oxford Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Restorative Dentistry Team, Amanda Simpson and the Sustainable Eye Care Team are recognised.

For the Patients’ Choice Award, finalists are Mr Kirana Arambage, Jay Gawali, Candice Noonan and Dawn Sheppard.

The Oxford Hospitals Charity Award for Supporter or Volunteer of the Year finalists will be announced at a later date.

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) is a world renowned centre of clinical excellence and one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the UK.

The trust is made up of four hospitals in Oxfordshire: John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

The incident occurred on the motorway between Junction 8A at Oxford and Junction 6 in Watlington.

This collision involved a motorcycle and a car and sparked a major closure on the road for around two hours.

All three southbound lanes were shut by Thames Valley Police, with massive queues building.

READ MORE: Five people arrested by Thames Valley Police officers

Traffic cameras showed the congestion as well as the empty lanes further ahead of the crash.

A spokesperson for National Highways at the time said: “The M40 southbound remains closed between J8A (Oxford) and J6 (Watlington) following a collision involving a motorcyclist and a car.

“Emergency Services are currently on scene. National Highways traffic officers are dealing with traffic management.”

Thames Valley Police has now confirmed that a motorcyclist was involved in the crash and was subsequently hospitalised with injuries.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We attended a serious injury road traffic collision in that location yesterday. A motorcyclist was taken to the hospital.”

The police have been asked if anyone else was injured in the crash and whether or not the motorcyclist has been discharged.

Following the crash and closure, the southbound M40 lanes were reopened later on Friday evening after delays had grown to around 40 minutes earlier.