When reporting a bus fire, a good description of the incident itself is important to capture critical details. These include the location of the fire, what may have caused the fire, and how was it put out. Unfortunately, of 72 non-major bus fire incidents reported (including a few that were described but the event category "fire" was not selected) 47 (65%) had no description whatsoever. Another 7 (9%) had descriptions that did not explain the fire incident itself, and instead usually focused on what transpired after the fire was discovered.

It is important to provide as much information about each fire incident as you can. Incident details often are the keys to identifying trends and common factors in bus fires. With this knowledge, agencies can develop effective measures to prevent fires.

Recording Bus Fires

This article provides an example to illustrate reporting incidents relating to bus fires.

Scenario:

A bus operated by the transit authority is traveling on its assigned route. A passenger yells that she sees and smells smoke. The driver pulls over and evacuates everyone. A fire appears from the engine compartment and starts to engulf the bus. The fire department arrives and puts out the fire. No one is injured. A subsequent investigation on the cause of the fire determines that the electrical wiring in the engine compartment was frayed and ignited some nearby oil. The estimated damage to the vehicle was $125,000.

Some things to consider before you enter the incident in the database:

• Was the fire the "Primary" event (for example, electrical wiring ignited, resulting in flames and smoke) or "Secondary" event (for example, a collision between a bus and an automobile, caused a flammable substance to drip onto something hot and to ignite)?
• Were people forced to evacuate the bus as a "Life Safety Event?" If yes, regardless of injuries or damage, this is reported as a major incident. If not, the normal rules apply (ex. a death or two people transported for medical care).