How many London electric bus fires have there been? Netizens ask ‘what the hell is going on’ as video of flaming vehicle goes viral

Another bus went up in flames on January 24, 2024, making it the third electric bus to catch on fire just this month in London. The electric bus was engulfed in flames in a bus garage in Putney, as the Fire Brigade was called to tackle the flames.

This recurring event of electric buses catching fire has sparked concern in the minds of Londoners, who are wondering "what the hell is going on" with their public transport system.

This incident happened only a few weeks after two consecutive electric bus fires that occurred on January 11 and January 12, 2024.

---

Netizens raise concerns as electric buses in London catch on flames

London has a renowned reputation for having a smoothly integrated public transport system. The bright red buses are one of the city's quintessential icons, next to the telephone booth and Big Ben. However, Londoners are worried about electric buses catching fire on their own; many are unsure if the vehicles are still safe to use in light of the recent incidents.

Here are some of their reactions:

According to the Independent, the London Fire Brigade stated that a part of the bus was damaged. 20 people were evacuated from the premises and there have been no reported casualties.

---

Three electric buses catch fire in just a month in London

An electric bus caught on fire at a bus garage on Chelverton Road in Putney, on Wednesday. According to The Sun, the fire was put out by the Fire Brigade, who released a statement that said:

“Around 20 people left the building before firefighters arrived and there were no reports of any injuries. The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers received nine calls about the fire. The Brigade was called at 0821 and the fire was extinguished by 0913. Two fire engines from Fulham and Tooting Fire Stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

The buses are a part of the Go Ahead fleet, the largest bus company in the capital. Following the fire, the company stated that a “precautionary fleet check” for the remaining 380 electric buses will be carried out. It also added that “events of this kind that took place inside our premises” were "very rare."

According to The Sun, Transport for London (TfL) also released a statement that said:

"Putney bus garage was partially closed following a fire on a bus. No one was on board the bus at the time and it was extinguished quickly. An investigation into the incident is now taking place."

This new fire report came just weeks after a double-decker electric bus caught on fire on Wimbledon Hill Road shortly after 7:20 am on January 11. The fire had to be put out by three fire engines and 15 firefighters. The following day, another electric bus fire broke out in North Woolwich on January 12.

Following these incidents, TfL issued another statement saying that electric buses on route 200, which runs between Raynes Park and Mitcham, will be “temporarily withdrawn” for checking by operator Go Ahead.

Go Ahead's electric buses were an initiative started to reduce public transport's carbon footprint by switching to electric vehicles that run on battery. They were introduced in the capital in 2014 and, as of 2024, there are more than 1000 zero-emission buses in operation.