A fast-moving fire erupted early Thursday at a transit bus lot in Philadelphia filled with dozens of decommissioned vehicles, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the sky but causing no injuries. The fire did not impact the morning commute.
Citing an abundance of caution, the city’s Public Health Department warned nearby residents to stay indoors if possible and urged others to avoid the area. Agency inspectors were collecting samples to assess air quality and the potential for any threat.
The fire at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority facility apparently started sometime before 6:15 a.m., said Andrew Busch, SEPTA ’s director of communications. Several buses were soon engulfed in flames, and the fire burned for nearly two hours before it was declared under control.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
The lot where the fire broke out was filled with decommissioned buses scheduled for disposal, Busch said. He noted that no in-service buses were in the area where the blaze occurred and none were threatened by the fire.
