Glendale Pulls 11 Buses Off City Routes

After a second bus fire in three days, Glendale pulled 11 aging propane-powered Beeline buses off their routes Friday and brought in replacements, city officials said.

No one was reported injured when an engine on a Beeline bus caught fire just after 1 p.m. Friday at Central Avenue and Dryden Street. The fire caused $30,000 in damage, officials said.

On Tuesday, $40,000 in damage resulted when a Beeline bus engine caught fire at Chevy Chase Drive and Colorado Street, officials said.

“These buses carry 30 to 35 people,” said Kerry Morford, the city’s public works director.

“The engine fire on the first vehicle went into part of the passenger compartment,” Morford said. “The bus driver acted promptly to get people off the bus. There is the potential for injury with an engine fire. We want to find out what it is before we put them back in service.”

Removal of the buses caused delays on the Beeline routes along Central Avenue and Brand Boulevard, pushing back scheduled stops from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes.

Service is not expected to be interrupted today or Sunday. On Monday, the city will draw from a large fleet of diesel and natural gas buses from Laidlaw Inc., which operates the bus service in Glendale. The city typically has 22 buses operating at once and a 23rd bus in reserve.

*

The cause of the fires has not been determined, but Morford said both buses were the same propane-powered model and about 7 to 8 years old. It is necessary for mechanics to inspect the buses before they are put back on the street, he added.

The bus problems come as the city is about to replace some of its aging fleet. Glendale is bringing in 14 natural gas buses next year, with some ready possibly as early as summer, officials said.

Wargo is a reporter for the Glendale News-Press.