Sound Transit bus bursts into flames on I-5 express lanes
SEATTLE - A Sound Transit burst into flames on the southbound Interstate 5 express lanes in Seattle during Friday morning's commute, creating a miles-long backup that lasted for hours.
Billowing flames and smoke poured from the diesel-powered articulated bus, near the 85th Street exit, just after it broke out at about 7 a.m.
Sound Transit later said Friday's frigid temperatures and a frozen brake line could be to blame for the blaze.
Officials said 24 passengers were aboard the bus when the fire broke out, including one passenger in a wheelchair.
Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore says the driver realized something was wrong underneath the bus and pulled over onto the shoulder. He checked the exterior of the bus, then called for help after spotting flames, opened both bus doors and got everyone off, including the passenger in the wheelchair.
"It was scary because it takes some time to unhook those straps, but later I realized she was already free, so people carried her out ... everybody's running away," said the driver, who asked not to be identified.
The driver said he pulled over after several motorists passing by him pointed at the bus to let him know something was wrong. He checked the bus and spotted a small fire near the back.
"At first I thought it was small, and it can be handled," he said. "But then I called in, and it was already spreading up, so I opened both doors and told people, 'We have to run.'"
The driver and some passengers told KOMO News that they heard a pop or explosion.
"I said, 'We have to - we have to run,' because after the first explosion there was fire, so I told them, 'We must run,'" recounted the driver.
"Everyone starts looking around at each other, like, 'Whats happening?'" said passenger Emalasa Franulovich. "Then we hear a second 'pop,' and everyone starts panicking and yelling, 'Get off the bus.'"
"So we're walking down the express lanes watching the bus on fire. ... I'm happy that I'm alive - it wasn't very fun," she said.
The driver said that the evacuation of the bus went very smoothly once it started.
"They were actually very organized, so I told them ... 'Get against the barrier,' and they did," he says.
Some passengers called the bus driver a "hero" for his calm but effective actions in getting the bus evacuated safely.
Sound transit spokeswoman Kimberly Reason says the cause of the fire is under investigation but it could have been caused by frozen brakes that overheated.
The blaze caused major disruptions during the morning rush hour. Aerial footage showed a huge backup extending for miles to the north.
All express lanes were closed initially, as well as two northbound lanes as firefighters battle the flames. The north 85th Street overpass also was closed so that fire trucks can reach the bus from above.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze by about 7:30 a.m., but their efforts were hampered at one point by a shortage of water.
By 7:50 a.m., one lane of the express lanes was reopened and a second was opened at about 9:30 a.m., but traffic was delayed through most of the morning.
Another bus was sent to pick up passengers evacuated from the burning vehicle.
Billowing flames and smoke poured from the diesel-powered articulated bus, near the 85th Street exit, just after it broke out at about 7 a.m.
Sound Transit later said Friday's frigid temperatures and a frozen brake line could be to blame for the blaze.
Officials said 24 passengers were aboard the bus when the fire broke out, including one passenger in a wheelchair.
Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore says the driver realized something was wrong underneath the bus and pulled over onto the shoulder. He checked the exterior of the bus, then called for help after spotting flames, opened both bus doors and got everyone off, including the passenger in the wheelchair.
"It was scary because it takes some time to unhook those straps, but later I realized she was already free, so people carried her out ... everybody's running away," said the driver, who asked not to be identified.
The driver said he pulled over after several motorists passing by him pointed at the bus to let him know something was wrong. He checked the bus and spotted a small fire near the back.
"At first I thought it was small, and it can be handled," he said. "But then I called in, and it was already spreading up, so I opened both doors and told people, 'We have to run.'"
The driver and some passengers told KOMO News that they heard a pop or explosion.
"I said, 'We have to - we have to run,' because after the first explosion there was fire, so I told them, 'We must run,'" recounted the driver.
"Everyone starts looking around at each other, like, 'Whats happening?'" said passenger Emalasa Franulovich. "Then we hear a second 'pop,' and everyone starts panicking and yelling, 'Get off the bus.'"
"So we're walking down the express lanes watching the bus on fire. ... I'm happy that I'm alive - it wasn't very fun," she said.
The driver said that the evacuation of the bus went very smoothly once it started.
"They were actually very organized, so I told them ... 'Get against the barrier,' and they did," he says.
Some passengers called the bus driver a "hero" for his calm but effective actions in getting the bus evacuated safely.
Sound transit spokeswoman Kimberly Reason says the cause of the fire is under investigation but it could have been caused by frozen brakes that overheated.
The blaze caused major disruptions during the morning rush hour. Aerial footage showed a huge backup extending for miles to the north.
All express lanes were closed initially, as well as two northbound lanes as firefighters battle the flames. The north 85th Street overpass also was closed so that fire trucks can reach the bus from above.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze by about 7:30 a.m., but their efforts were hampered at one point by a shortage of water.
By 7:50 a.m., one lane of the express lanes was reopened and a second was opened at about 9:30 a.m., but traffic was delayed through most of the morning.
Another bus was sent to pick up passengers evacuated from the burning vehicle.
The wheels on the bus go "Crackle, crackle POP!!!"
Wow..! Â Â Job VERY well done, bus driver - AND passengers, who apparently kept their wits about them and got everyone off safely..! Â Â What a SCARY event..!
Nice for the driver. I'm guessing it wasn't exactly an express lane at that time.
Good news for the passengers! Kudos to the driver for being aware and proactive!
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Never liked those articulated buses.
 @MikeyÂ
I loved those things. I am bummed Tri-Met no longer uses them.
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They used to run the "long" routes. Like Foster/Hawthorne/I-5 to Vancouver. Now that route is broken up again (14 and 5), but when I was a kid it was joined and those busses ran on it.
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They had better turning radii than the new buses, sate MANY more people and were fun in the turns.
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The new buses can't even stay in their own lane for those turns now.
Great job on the part of the driver! Well done!
Give the driver a raise and an award for a job well done.
What a very, very smart bus driver who knows the sound and feel of the bus. Glad no one was caught in that bus.Â
 @washcomom This is why I don't have a stereo in my car. I want to hear before I have to feel any thing going wrong with my car. A car sometimes gives you warning that something may be amiss with it, if only you listen. (and I have a car with no computers)
 @No_Conservitards Brings a new meaning for having "a feel for the road", right?Â
 @washcomom yes! don't let anything distract you when behind the wheel. turn you cell phone off or pull over to take the call. do NOT drive and talk at the same time. this never used to be an issue. Accidents happen most often from inattention. don't let it happen to you.
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