An electric car caught on fire and burnt for more than 11 hours today, Saturday. 

The fire took place on the M66 Northbound near Simister Island this morning.

Firefighters from Whitefield Fire Station tackled the blaze, before the car was moved to an impound yard this afternoon. 

The electric car is said to have gone into "thermal runaway", which is when a battery cell short circuits and starts to heat up uncontrollably. 

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Due to this, firefighters will need to keep an eye on it for 24 hours with thermal imaging technology.

They have been watching it for around 12 hours currently. 

Crew manager Nathan Williams said: "We have been to a car fire on the M66 today (Saturday). 

"It is an electric vehicle, a car with an electric battery, it has taken a good while to cool off and has gone into something called thermal runaway. 

"Firefighters have to sit there and watch it with thermal imaging cameras. 

"It has been going since this morning, for around 11.5 hours, as it was handed over to us from the night watch." 

A spokesman from the fire station added later that the car was on fire at Simister Island and that it had been moved to an impound. 

He added that crews, as per protocol, would need to watch it for 24 hours.