“It is too early to comment on causes.”
Dean Campbell is the owner and operator of Campbell Bus Lines who owns the electric school bus that caught fire this morning in Huntsville. He spoke to 705BLACKFLY.COM to clarify the facts of the incident that has sparked a lot of debate and concern on social media
“To correct the Facebook story,” Dean tells us. “The bus did not break down prior to the fire, the driver smelled a burning smell, immediately pulled to the side of the road and evacuated the students as he is trained to do!”
A news release from the town of Huntsville stated that at about 8:30 AM the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department responded to a reported vehicle fire on Earls Road. When a crew of eleven firefighters and two trucks responded, they found the electric school bus engulfed in flames. Fire crews were able to douse the blaze, and nearby homes were not damaged. No one was injured in the fire and the Office of the Fire Marshal has been contacted.
At this time the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, and it is not believed that the large battery of the electric school bus was involved. Campbell tells us that the electric school buses range in cost between $400,000 and $500,000, and there are no other electric school buses in the Huntsville area.
As to why the fire may have started, Dean said, “It is too early to comment on causes. I’m sure engineers and investigators will inspect the bus to determine cause, future electrical bus purchase decisions and related policies will be determined after those findings are released.”
In a news release, OPP stated that the Huntsville Fire completely extinguished the fire and Hydro One crews attended to ensure sure no loss of services to power in the area as power lines were near the fully engulfed vehicle. Earls Road has been re-opened and there is no further police investigation at this time.
