Fire Department

A driver with Badger Bus reports he was passing by Fish Hatchery Road on the eastbound Beltline Highway when he smelled an electrical odor. By the time he reached Park Street, the bus lost power, and he pulled over to the side of the road. Moments later, he saw flames coming from the front end of his shuttle bus.

The vehicle was fully involved when Ladder Company 6 arrived to pull their bumper line and apply a foam-water concentrate onto the fire. Upon extinguishing the fire, Ladder 6 overhauled the scene to check for spot fires and put out any hot spots. Debris was flushed from the road, and the City of Madison Streets Division came to spread salt on the highway, where the water was turning to ice.

The driver said he had been operating the bus since 6:30 that morning, and he had no problems with the bus prior to the fire. The exact cause of the fire is currently undetermined, but investigators deemed the fire accidental in nature.

The incident caused a temporary shutdown of eastbound lanes of the Beltline at Park Street Thursday afternoon. No injuries were reported.