A63 bus fire: Stagecoach statement after blaze that brought Hull to a standstill

The A63 was brought to its knees on Tuesday when a double-decker Stagecoach abruptly burst into flames in a westbound lane coming out of Hull.

Firefighters equipped with fans and breathing apparatus tackled the blaze near the Humber Bridge from around 2.30pm yesterday. The fire had already consumed the back of the Stagecoach bus and it took two hose reels to be brought under control.

Dramatic footage and photographs captured by witnesses showed bright orange flames licking up the back of the bus, as thick smoke billowed across the other lanes of the A63. Drivers passed cautiously and the road was later shut westbound as Humberside Police arrived on the scene.

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Warning people to stay well away during the recovery of the burnt-out vehicle, the force tweeted: "Officers are currently in attendance on the A63 westbound near to the North Ferriby junction following reports of a bus on fire this afternoon. Thankfully, no one has been injured as a result, but motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible."

But motorists caught in the chaos complained about the disruption on Hull Live's Traffic & Travel Facebook page. One said: "Amazing how a bus fire can almost shut down the entire road system in Hull."

Photograph of a Stagecoach bus on fire on the A63. The rear end of the Stagecoach double-decker bus is consumed with orange flames. Thick black smoke is floating upwards.
The Stagecoach bus fire on the A63 -Credit:Magdalena Makola

Another said: "In two hours we moved about 20 meters, stuck on Kingston retail park. Then once we got moving took about 30 mins to get from there to St Georges road. Absolutely ridiculous."

Someone else said they believed closing the A63 was unavoidable because people could get hurt by hazards such as blowing up fuel tanks or fuel on the road. "Is it worth the risk?" they asked.

In its log of the incident, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service said: "Double decker bus involved in fire. Driver evacuated prior to arrival of Fire Service. Two BA, two hose reels, small tools, absorbant pads and PPV fan in use. Incident left with Police and bus driver to arrange recovery."

Stagecoach's statement

A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Midlands told Hull Live: "We can confirm that one of our vehicles experienced a mechanical issue that resulted in a fire. We are carrying out a full investigation to identify the cause, as incidents such as these are extremely rare."

Why do buses catch fire?

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it received 242 reports of fires between January 2020 and September 2022. In an investigation published last year, it said it has dealt with an increasing number of bus fires.

"While not resulting in injuries, the fires have naturally raised people’s fears over the possibilities of what could happen if such fires happened while carrying passengers," it said. The report noted buses are put under a lot of mechanical strain with "short stop and start journeys and variations in loading".

A list of the bus fire reports sent to DVSA between January 2022 and September 2022.
Bus fire reports sent to DVSA between January 2022 and September 2022 -Credit:Source: DVSA

It added: "While buses have a rigorous maintenance programme taking into account their use, there is still the possibility some components may fail prematurely which lead to breakdown or even result in a vehicle fire.

"To comply with air quality rules, in recent years buses have been fitted with exhaust after treatment systems that generate significant heat. Concerns have been raised whether the heat generated by these systems could cause premature degradation to components such as wiring, fuel systems and other combustible components within the engine bay."

The DVSA said it didn't find any evidence that engine bay temperatures could lead to premature degradation or engine fires when maintained correctly. The majority of fires (88 out of 242 total) had unknown causes.

Vehicle component faults and electrical faults were found to have caused 46 and 38 fires respectively. Arson was responsible for just six of the bus fires reported.