And drivers travelling towards Kettering and Wellingborough from the M1 faced more delays of around 20 minutes on their trip to work after a crash closed one lane near Rothwell.
The Highways England gritter caught fire between Junctions 3 and 2 just after 4am on Monday, January 20.
Queues of up to two miles built up for rush-hour traffic heading from Wellingbroough and Kettering towards the M1 and M6.
Gritters hit the county's roads this weekend as temperatures plummeted leading to heavy overnight frosts.