No passengers were injured when the engine of a Route 55 SEPTA bus caught fire in Ogontz this afternoon, but the bus itself was damaged significantly, spokesman Andrew Busch said.
Busch said the fire in the engine compartment started just after 2 p.m., and the bus' 26 passengers and operator were evacuated from the bus safely before it was towed. He added that the bus was one of the oldest in SEPTA's fleet, about 15 years old, but said the fire system functioned properly.
The bus was towed to a maintenance facility, where the cause of the fire will be determined. Busch said engine fires in SEPTA buses aren't common, and there was no indication that the same issue would happen in other buses.