First Bus engineering teams are set to examine a double-decker that exploded in flames on Thursday. The cause remains unknown, but First says that their teams will be examining it "closely".
Shortly before midday on Thursday (March 24), a number 75 bus travelling through Bedminster Down suddenly broke out in flames, rapidly escalating into a fireball. All passengers and the driver were able to evacuate safely after a college student noticed smoke and that her bag was melting and triggered an evacuation.
The smoke plume from the fire was visible from miles away, with a loud 'bang' audible in surrounding areas. First Bus said in a statement that a "full investigation will be carried out".
READ MORE: Hero teen student noticed bus fire when her bag started melting
At around 11.50pm yesterday, the number 75 bus was driving down Bishopsworth Road in Bedminster Down when Ruby Elvin, a 17-year-old college student, noticed that it was rather warm on the lower deck of the bus at the back. She normally sits there due to the warmth from the engine, but it got a bit hotter than planned.
Speaking to Bristol Live yesterday, Ruby said: “It started getting really hot. My bag started burning up, melting. It’s one of those plasticky tote bags and the corner of it just melted. Then there was smoke around my feet.
“I ran down to the front of the bus as we were going up the hill into Bedminster Down and told the driver. At first, she said ‘no, it’s not on fire’, but then she looked round and the back of the bus was filled with smoke."
The driver immediately stopped the bus and the people from both levels of the double-decker raced to safety as Avon Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the scene. A spokesperson for the fire service said that crews from Temple, Kingswood and Bedminster were sent to deal with the fire.
The crews arrived on the scene to find it engulfed in flames as thick black smoke billowed high into the sky. Crews used two hose reels and a safety jet to extinguish the flames. Three firefighters wore breathing apparatus for safety.
There was also damage to three neighbouring properties, including the guttering of a carer living next to where the bus burned. Gaye Russell told Bristol Live: “I had the fire brigade in the loft and outside the house. The guttering is all melted and they pulled down the rest of it, because it could fall on someone. The white window frames are all brown and black and fire damaged too."
The bus was then removed from the road and towed back to one of the First Bus depots for the cause of the blaze to be established. When asked for an update on the investigation, a spokesperson for First Bus said that the cause has not yet been found, but that their engineering team is examining the bus "closely" today.
In a statement yesterday, a First West of England spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was a fire on the 75 service at Bishopsworth Road in Bedminster Down at approximately 11.55 this morning.
"Passengers were quickly and safely evacuated by the driver and there were no injuries. The fire service was in attendance. A full investigation into the cause of the incident will be carried out.“
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