Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a rare incident today when a public bus caught fire on Holly Road, Little Dawley, this afternoon.
The Arriva bus, carrying three people at the time, was evacuated by the driver when a passenger reported smoke rising through the floor at the rear of the vehicle.
Two fire crews attended the incident, acting quickly to extinguish the fire which had engulfed the vehicle, prevented the situation from escalating and ensured disruption was kept to a minimum for local residents and businesses.
Group operations manager Scott Hurford said: “The quick thinking of the driver is to be commended, as everyone was at a safe distance from the vehicle when we arrived.
“We had additional concerns over exploding tyres and an overhead power line that was around 50m long. This added further risk to the situation as they can break under extreme heat and remain live. This was also made safe and the situation quickly brought under control."
If you happen to be in a vehicle fire, as soon as you smell smoke or see it coming through vents or from under the bonnet it’s vital to stop your car. The reason is fire develop very quickly and you could be easily caught inside once the fire takes hold.
Do not attempt to put the fire out yourself, get out of the vehicle and call 999.
An Arriva spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was an incident with one of our vehicles in Telford at approximately 1pm today. Our driver immediately evacuated all passengers on board safely, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause.”
