JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two people were injured, and half a dozen school buses and several cars were charred when flames broke out at a Student Transportation of America depot in Regency.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue crews were called to the fire before noon and found flames shooting through the roof of the bus depot’s service building.
The crews had a difficult time putting the fire out because there were no hydrants close by and they had to relay hose lines as far as 1,000 feet.
High winds also hampered firefighting efforts, and the building was filled with hazardous materials, including fuels and oils, presenting a risk of explosions.
No firefighters were hurt, but two civilians who tried to put the fire out before firefighters arrived were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Several burned buses could be seen in the bays when Sky4 flew over the depot, and the roof appeared to have buckled from the heat of the fire.
The building’s structural integrity is being checked, and the state fire marshal was called to investigate the cause.