Ithaca and Trumansburg Fire Departments responded to the report of a TCAT bus filling with smoke on a state highway this evening. No injuries were reported, however the cause of the fire is still unclear and will be under investigation.
The Ithaca Fire Department reported their involvement in putting out the fire at the 1600 block of state Route 96 around 4:45 p.m. on Friday in a Facebook post.
“Trumansburg worked with the Ithaca Fire Department to quickly knock down and control the fire … extinguishing nearby grass fires started by the blaze,” IFD wrote.
The firefighters arrived on the scene to find the bus ablaze, with all occupants out and accounted for.
The two fire departments fully extinguished the fire within 30 minutes of the initial call. State Route 96, which was briefly shut down during the operation, has reopened a single lane after all hazards were mitigated.
Fire personnel remained on scene for about an hour to control the traffic on the road along with New York State Police. Trumansburg ambulance also provided help at the scene.