Damage inflicted upon a series of SEPTA buses no longer in service, housed within a storage facility in Philadelphia, has been extinguished
A fire broke out early Thursday at a transit bus lot in Philadelphia, in an area where no in-service buses were present and none were threatened by the blaze. The lot was filled with decommissioned buses, scheduled for disposal, and majority of which were in line to be sold for scrap.
The fire, which started sometime before 6:15 a.m., burned for nearly two hours before it was placed under control later that day. The incident did not impact the morning commute.
The fire caused an increase in particulate matter, which can exacerbate lung and heart conditions, and released cancer-causing substances such as benzene, toxic ethylbenzene, and carbon monoxide. Levels of these pollutants peaked while the fire was burning early Thursday morning, but samples taken Friday morning indicated levels had dropped back down to 'normal levels.'
City health officials advised nearby residents to stay inside and avoid exposure to the smoke on Thursday, but on Friday they said people could return to their normal routines.
The fire included 15 electric buses which had been decommissioned, and SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer suggested this could provide a clue to how the fire started. Sauer stated that they want to get the Proterra electric buses off-site due to potential risks.
It's important to note that SEPTA decommissions about 100 buses each year when replacement vehicles are purchased. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
In a related incident, a similar electric bus caught fire in 2022 at a separate SEPTA facility. The Proterra electric bus company, which manufactures some of the buses destroyed in the Philadelphia fire, faced a lawsuit from investors over alleged false or misleading statements about the company's business and future prospects.
No injuries were reported in the fire, and the lot was filled with 40 buses, of which 15 are Proterra electric buses. Despite the incident, SEPTA continues to invest in electric buses as part of its commitment to reducing emissions and promoting sustainable transportation.
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