Tour bus catches fire near SCV; occupants forced to evacuate

A Los Angeles County Fire Department truck moves quickly to scene.
A Los Angeles County Fire Department truck moves quickly to scene. Katharine Lotze/The Signal
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Some 15 people had quite a scare Saturday morning after they had to evacuate a tour bus that caught on fire just outside of SCV on the Southbound Interstate 5 just north of the 210 interchange. Fortunately, no one was injured as a result.

“It was reported as a vehicle fire on the right shoulder…tour bus (was) on fire,” said Dispatch Supervisor Cheryl Sims with L.A. County Fire.

According to CHP, the bus was initially smoking on the inside then the back of the tour bus caught on fire. Fire officials put out the fire fairly quickly according to Officer Stephan Brandt with CHP.

“It was a small engine fire, the bus is not like a total loss burn,” he said. “Back of the bus (was) on fire…that is where the engine is normally if it is a bus.

The occupants left the bus and and remained on the right shoulder of the road. Private assistance arrived on scene to assist in removing the occupants from the shoulder of the freeway.

“Somebody arrived on scene and they had private assistance coming,” said Brandt.

The incident occurred at the border of the jurisdiction of L.A. City Fire and L.A. County Fire around 6:08 a.m.

L.A. City requested aid from L.A. County Fire and responded with two units, an engine and a light force, while L.A. County responded with similar equipment—an engine, a patrol, a squad and a water tender. Firefighters became available again at 6:27 a.m.

A light force is an engine and truck according to fire official Cheryl Sims.

 

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