Hydrogen bus destroyed during fiery refueling disaster

“Explosions were heard” when the vehicle was engulfed in flames last week in California.

A hydrogen bus was refueling in California last week, when it was engulfed in flames. Fortunately, the safety mechanisms that were in place at the fueling location worked just as designed, and the blaze did not spread to any of the primary refueling station tanks, according to the vehicle network operator.

The vehicle was being refueled at the time the blaze broke out, said the Golden Empire Transit group.

“The hydrogen buses were being fuelled at the time of the fire,” said a statement from the Golden Empire Transit Group. “One bus was destroyed and only the dispensing portion of the hydrogen fueling station was damaged. Explosions were heard and seen from the tanks on the bus that had just been filled, but the primary tanks of the actual fueling station did not ignite due to safety technology.”

Karen King, CEO of Golden Empire Transit Group, explained that the situation could have been substantially worse, but the safety mechanisms installed at the refueling location worked just as they needed to, and the Bakersfield Fire Department acted quickly and effectively. As a result, damage was effectively minimized.

No injuries were reported from the location where the hydrogen bus went up into flames.

According to King, no injuries were reported when the incident happened. That said, it remains too early to know precisely what caused the fire to happen in the first place, though that will be interesting to learn.

The vehicle was entirely destroyed in the blaze. The estimated cost of the destruction was $1.1 million. It was one of ten hydrogen buses Golden Empire Transit purchased as a component of its zero-carbon emission fuel transition strategy.

By 2040, 100 percent of new California public transport vehicles are required to be zero-emission.

Estimates of station damage remain unavailable.

Golden Empire Transit operates in Southern California’s Kern county. The company built a fueling station for the vehicles, though by the time this article was written, it did not offer an estimate of the cost of the fire to any damage left to parts of that refueling station.

FAQs about the hydrogen news – bus fire in California

1. What happened in the incident?
Last week, while a hydrogen bus was being refueled in California, it was engulfed in flames. Explosions were reportedly heard and seen from the tanks on the bus that had just been filled.

2. How did the safety mechanisms react?
The safety mechanisms installed at the refueling location worked as designed, preventing the blaze from spreading to any of the primary refueling station tanks.

3. What was the extent of the damage?
One bus was destroyed in the fire, and the dispensing portion of the hydrogen fueling station was damaged. The estimated cost of the destruction of the vehicle is $1.1 million. The cost of the damage to the station has not been estimated yet.

4. Were there any injuries reported?
No injuries were reported at the location where the hydrogen bus went up in flames.

5. What caused the fire?
It is still too early to determine the exact cause of the fire.

6. Who operates these buses?
The buses are operated by the Golden Empire Transit group, which operates in Southern California’s Kern county.

7. What is the future plan for public transport vehicles in California?
By 2040, all new public transport vehicles in California are required to be zero-emission.

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