Stagecoach says ‘no wider issues’ after third bus fire in three months in Cumbria

Stagecoach said there are no wider issues with its fleet after three bus fires have happened in three months.
The latest fire, which happened on Friday in Yottenfews car park, near Sellafield, involved an out of service single-decker bus, and is still being investigated.
Firefighters from Sellafield brought the blaze under control, with support from Bootle, Seascale and Whitehaven crews.
As a precaution, the company said its teams carried out additional targeted safety checks across its fleet on Friday evening.
It added that it is confident there are no wider problems with its fleet and that previous fires were isolated incidents.
In October, an out of service double-decker bus caught fire on the A595 Distington bypass, closing the road. Three fire crews tackled the blaze.
A half open-top bus also caught fire on the A69 between Corby Hill and Hayton in September. Stagecoach said its driver acted quickly and evacuated all passengers in line with safety protocols.
Both incidents found the buses had experienced isolated engine failures.
A Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire spokesman said: “We understand recent incidents may cause concern, and we want to reassure our customers and communities that safety is our absolute priority.
“An independent investigation into Friday’s incident is under way, and we are fully supporting that process.
“As a precaution, we carried out additional, targeted safety checks across our fleet on Friday evening and are confident there are no wider issues.”
The company added that it has also bolstered safety measures in a bid to minimise the risk of future fires.
The spokesman added: “Previous investigations confirmed isolated engine failures, and we have since strengthened our safety protocols and introduced further fleet testing to minimise the risk of recurrence.
“Over the past decade, there have been only five such incidents, none of which were connected or related to vehicle age.
“All of our buses must meet rigorous maintenance, engineering and operational standards before entering service, and our teams continue to work closely with manufacturers and regulators to ensure the highest levels of safety.
“We remain committed to learning from every incident and operating a safe, reliable bus network for the communities we serve.”