Commuter Bus Catches Fire on 101 Freeway

Updated 12:30 PM PDT, Wed, Jul 22, 2009

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A commuter bus caught fire Thursday on a freeway in suburban Calabasas and 27 people on board were treated for smoke inhalation, a fire official said.

The Commuter Express bus was heading north on U.S. Highway 101 about a dozen miles northwest of Los Angeles when it caught fire, authorities said.

"The driver noticed smoke and then some flames coming out of the rear," Los Angeles County fire Inspector Steve Zermeno said.

The driver pulled over and the 37 passengers aboard the bus were able to escape, he said.

However, 26 people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and a woman with smoke inhalation was taken to a hospital for observation, Zermeno said.

There was no immediate word on her condition, but she was in stable condition when she was taken to the hospital, Zermeno said.

The other passengers later resumed their trip on another bus, he said.

The fire burned about three-quarters of the bus, It took fire crews about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze, Zermeno said.

The cause was under investigation, but it started in the engine compartment and may have been mechanical, he said.