SEPTA bus depot fire: Air quality concerns remain as investigators probe cause of fire

SEPTA officials continue to search for cause of massive blaze at bus depot

A massive fire erupted at SEPTA's largest bus depot in Philadelphia, damaging 40 decommissioned busses.

PHILADELPHIA - A fire at SEPTA’s yard for out-of-service buses sends thick black smoke into the air, raising health concerns as investigators search for the cause of the blaze Thursday morning.

For SEPTA’s leaders, the early morning images must have looked like a nightmare come true, as huge flames rose up from 100 out-of-service buses ready for sale or the junkyard at the authority’s biggest bus depot.

What we know:

Firefighters were called to the Midvale SEPTA Bus Depot around 6 a.m. after employees reported a fire in the decommissioned bus lot.

Investigators say the fire reached 3-alarms and torched about 40 buses, many that haven't been used in years, including former electric buses.

SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the lot is used to store 100 buses that have been or are in the process of being decommissioned. He provided some insight into the decommission process, saying the buses' batteries are disconnected, and the mechanical fluid is drained.

Officials provide update on SEPTA bus depot fire

Investigators are working to uncover what caused a fleet of decommissioned SEPTA buses to catch fire at a Philadelphia bus depot on Thursday morning.

No injuries were reported.

Multiple SEPTA buses burning at Philadelphia bus depot

A huge fire erupted at a SEPTA bus depot in Philadelphia's Nicetown neighborhood Thursday morning.

What they're saying:

Assistant Chief Charles Walker of the Philadelphia Fire Department said at the scene, "We had some initial challenges with access points into the yard as well as getting water into the area where we needed it so we could address the fire."

Palak Raval-Nelson is the Philadelphia Health Commissioner. Speaking at an early afternoon press briefing, she said, "We know that the air is still not entirely safe. That is why my recommendation as the health commissioner is for residents to stay away from the area of the fire. People living in the area should stay inside."

16 of the burned buses are electric made by the Proterra Company. SEPTA is battling in court in part over an earlier fire. SEPTA said the nine remaining electric buses at the depot are going away.

Sauer said, "We have to get them off our property away from the potential we could have an incident like this, which could have been far worse. We don’t want to lose an entire facility. More importantly, we don’t want to hurt anyone."

What we don't know:

Investigators are searching for the cause of the blaze at the depot SEPTA says is staffed by its workers 24 hours a day.