In central London, a double-decker bus caught fire. The 88 bus burst into flames at about 6.50 am outside Portland Hospital on Great Portland Street – the road was then closed off.
The London Fire Brigade were summoned to the scene and was able to bring the fire under control within 10 minutes. All passengers were safely evacuated from the bus. The cause of the fire remains unclear, and the London Fire Brigade have been approached for comment.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ” Two fire engines and around ten firefighters were called to reports of a double-decker bus alight on Great Portland Street this morning. The Brigade’s 999 Control officers received the first of six calls at 6.52 am and deployed crews from Euston and Soho fire stations.
“Part of the bus was destroyed by fire. All passengers evacuated the bus before the Brigade arrived. There was a temporary road closure, but it has now reopened in both directions. The incident was under control by 7.53 am.”
Rosie Trew, TfL’s Head of Bus Service Delivery, said: “We’re working closely with bus operator Go-Ahead London to investigate the cause of a fire onboard a route 88 bus this morning. All passengers were safely evacuated from the bus, and there are no reported injuries. We’re sorry for any alarm caused to customers or people in the area by this incident.”
The cause of the fire remained unknown.
The incident is the second time in less than two years that a London bus has been engulfed in flames.
In January 2024, a Wimbledon Hill Road bus on the 200 route burst into flames due to a fault with the bus’s 24V electrical system.
A report on the incident said: “Whilst stationary in traffic at Wimbledon Hill Road, an ambulance crew positioned on the offside lane, alerted our driver to signs of smoke coming from the rear end of his bus.”
It added: “The driver stated he was unaware of the smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle until he was informed by the ambulance driver who was positioned behind.
“The ambulance driver informed our driver that there were sparks coming from the rear of the vehicle, so our driver pulled over at the next bus stop.”
Fifteen firefighters were deployed to the location to douse the fire, with the driver praised for his professionalism and actions, ensuring all passengers were safely evacuated.
The incident saw all Metrodecker buses, the model involved in the fire, removed from service whilst an investigation took place, according to My London.
Transport for London and the London Fire Brigade have been contacted by the Daily Express for comment.
There was a lot of missed information online, such as, ‘Was this an electric bus?’
It was terrible reporting – did they send the tea lady to report on this happening?
The Metrodecker bus, specifically the Metrodecker EV, is an all-electric, zero-emission double-decker bus. It’s manufactured by Switch Mobility (formerly Optare).
If a lithium battery catches fire, the results can be severe due to a process called thermal runaway, where the battery overheats and can lead to fire or explosions.
Lithium-ion batteries are inherently combustible and have a flammable electrolyte.
If damaged or overheated, the battery can discharge a considerable amount of energy, causing the electrolyte to ignite and spread the fire rapidly. Also, the fire can release harmful gases and create a dangerous situation.
Lithium battery fires can be extremely difficult and time-consuming to extinguish, and in some cases, may be best left to burn out in a controlled manner. Depending on the size and style of the battery and the extent of the fire, it could take hours or even days to completely extinguish.
I very much doubt this bus was electric because it would have taken more than ten minutes to put the fire out if it had been electric.
I can’t remember regular buses exploding before these zero-emission hybrids came along. Remember the bendy buses!
We’re supposed to be going for a greener, cleaner England, but there goes Khan’s emissions for a month or two. Talk about adding to the pollution.
It appears that everything in this country needs a significant overhaul – trains, planes, cars, governments and politicians.
They always want to transform everything – if it works, then it doesn’t need fixing; otherwise, new things become unpredictable and dangerous – we need to warn Captain Kirk that anything new is a flawed design because it has bugs in it that need to be ironed out before use.
At the end of the day, I fear that electronics and technology will make our lives more complicated.
The fact that nobody was hurt—which is a great relief—is what matters most in this situation.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 