Port Authority Bus Catches Fire On I-79

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Port Authority bus caught on fire on Interstate 79 Wednesday morning.

It took place just before sunrise on I-79 northbound near the Kirwan Heights off-ramp.

A driver traveling on the highway noticed smoke pouring out of the back of a Port Authority bus. That driver was able to get the bus driver to pull over. Once the bus was in park on the shoulder, it went up in flames.

Firefighters and police arrived just minutes later and quickly got to work. According to a Port Authority spokesperson, it appears that the fire started in the engine compartment.

The bus sustained a fairly significant amount of damage.

At the time of the fire, just before 5:30 a.m., the bus was not in service. It was headed to the garage. There were no riders on board, and the driver was not hurt.

As far as traffic, crews had to block off the right lane on I-79, as well as a portion of the off-ramp. For the most part, traffic was able to get by slowly.

The Port Authority continues to investigate exactly what sparked the fire.

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