New city bus catches fire on William Street in Columbia

The Columbia Fire Department is investigating what caused a fire to ignite on a new electric city bus Monday.

Division Chief Jerry Jenkins with the Columbia Fire Department said the fire marshal will work to determine a cause.

Derek Brooks, the transit and parking manager for Columbia public works, said the fire happened around the brake area of the rear wheel and was most likely caused by around the break overheating. He said the fire was not related to the battery or the electrical component of the bus itself.

“All mechanical items can have a failure at some point,” he said. “We’re hoping that in a few weeks we’ll know what it is and can see if it’s something we need to watch out for in the future.”

The department got the call about the fire around 5:07 p.m. from the bus driver on William Street and Richardson.

According to Jenkins, the driver was the only person on the bus at the time and there were no injuries reported.

Last July, Columbia won nearly $2 million in grant money to put toward new electric buses for the city. Three of them were expected to replace old diesel buses and save the city money.

The bus that caught fire was being leased to the city, according to Jenkins.

Brooks said the rest of the electric buses will be inspected on Tuesday, and the bus that caught fire will be shipped back to the manufacturer for testing and repairs.

They are also sending two more buses of the same make and model as the one that caught fire to the manufacturer for closer inspection as well.