An electric school bus caught fire in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood. Fortunately, all five children aboard, along with the driver, were unharmed, reported CBC News.
The incident reportedly occurred Sept. 9 near, sparking concern among parents and local authorities.
The Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) stated via the article that the children were being transported to one of the city’s schools when the driver noticed an unusual odor coming from the bus. Realizing something was wrong, the driver quickly parked the vehicle, evacuated the children, and called for help. A separate bus arrived shortly afterward to pick up the students.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with no official conclusions drawn yet. However, a Montreal Fire Department spokesperson confirmed via the news report that the fire began after the driver turned off the bus’ heating system and noticed smoke rising from the vents. The fire spread rapidly but did not damage the vehicle’s battery system. Firefighters were able to put out the flames with four crew members on the scene.
According to the news report, a statement from CSSDM assured parents that the transportation company’s vehicles undergo rigorous mechanical checks, which had recently been completed.
“As per our contracts, the transportation company’s vehicles are subject to strict mechanical verification requirements, and those verifications are recent,” the statement said via the article. The school service center has been in close contact with the company to determine the cause of the fire.
The bus was reportedly manufactured by Lion Electric, now known as LION Bus after being acquired out of bankruptcy earlier thisyear. In a statement via the article, LION confirmed it is conducting an internal analysis to better understand the circumstances surrounding the fire. However, as STN has reported, LION has ceased all operations in the U.S. after being purchased by a private company in Canada. The bus involved in the fire was owned by First Studen. In a statement, First Student commended the school bus driver for acting swiftly and praised the local fire department for their prompt response.
“The bus driver responded swiftly and appropriately, ensuring the safety of everyone on board. We also want to thank the local fire department for their prompt and professional response,” the company said via the article.
According to the news report, this incident is similar to one occuring last November, when another electric school bus caught fire in Ascot Corner, Quebec. In that case, the fire also started in the vehicle’s heating system but, like Tuesday’s incident, did not affect the battery. The driver in that case was the only one on board and escaped unharmed.
Parents of students on board the bus were informed of the incident, and while there was some delay in getting the children home, the quick response from the driver and emergency services ensured the situation was handled without injury.
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