Third electric London bus catches fire in January

The fire started last Wednesday morning (24 January) and took almost an hour to extinguish. While the bus itself was unoccupied, around 20 people in a nearby building were forced to evacuate.

Nobody was reported injured by the blaze, which occurred while the vehicle was in a bus garage, with the fire brigade advising that the cause of the fire was ‘under investigation’.

The incident in Putney comes after a bus in Wimbledon caught fire on 11 January requiring a 25 metre cordon and road closures, with another electric bus catching fire the following day on 12 January in North Woolwich.

No injuries were reported following the previous two fires, with commuters having to be quickly evacuated following the incident on 12 January.

Bus operator Go Ahead has since advised its staff that a ‘precautionary fleet check’ is currently underway on its electric buses, totalling around 380, with the company also saying that the ‘initial stages of an investigation’ were taking place.

Following the Wimbledon fire on 11 January, Transport for London had confirmed that electric buses on the 200 route in London were being ‘temporarily withdrawn’ by Go Ahead.

Leigh Day product safety partner Jill Paterson commented on the issue:

“The number and frequency of these events is extremely concerning, and it is hoped that Go Ahead get to the bottom of what is happening as soon as possible. There is a worrying trend of fires in London involving electric vehicles, from e-bikes and e-scooters to cars and buses. It is important that all transport companies with an electric fleet ensure that their buses are safe for passengers.”