Fire torches 6 SMART buses in Westland, damaging pavement and property
WESTLAND, Mich. - Six buses used for shuttling seniors around Wayne County were destroyed in a fire in Westland Monday morning.
Around 7 a.m., one of the buses caught fire due to a faulty plug that was hooked up to one of the buses, officials with the city said.
The fire then moved down the row, catching several others on fire, leaving charred remains of the vehicles.
Westland Smart buses destroyed in fire
Six SMART buses housed in Westland were damaged by a fire that city officials believe started when one of the glow plugs that keep the diesel engines operating shorted. The fire jumped from one bus to the next, destroying several. There were no injuries reported.
SMART buses come equipped with diesel engines that require being kept warm during winter months. Instead of using spark plugs, the transport vehicles use something called glow plugs, which hook up to the engines.
According to the Deputy Director for Community Development of Westland, a SMART bus caught fire due to the hookup.
From there, the fire apparently hopped down the row of buses, torching them and leaving shells of their former selves in its wake.
Smoke could still be seen from one of the carcasses hours after the fire had been put out.
The damage was reported on six of the vehicles, as well as the pavement where they were parked and a shed behind them.
Nobody was injured.
The seniors that rely on the vehicles won't see their daily routines disrupted, however, since several other buses are still in working condtiion