Electric School Bus Fire in Los Angeles

Reports indicate that a fire occurred in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) confirmed that the vehicle fire was reported around 9:20 a.m. at 11460 W. Foothill Blvd., which is located just beneath the 210 Freeway overpass in the San Fernando Valley. Fortunately, there were no children on the bus when the fire started, according to LAFD officials.

The driver, whose details haven’t been disclosed yet, was taken to the hospital for mild smoke inhalation, as reported by KTLA. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but thankfully, no firefighters sustained injuries during the response.

LAFD noted that most of the fire was under control by 10:55 a.m. The school bus was powered by lithium-ion batteries, which may require monitoring for several hours.

Recently, President Biden’s administration has been pushing for electric vehicles (EVs) on a larger scale, aiming to integrate them nationwide. However, in October 2024, the Federal Transit Administration issued a safety advisory recalling 483 electric transit buses due to safety defects.

In contrast, President Trump has been rolling back some Biden-era green energy initiatives during his current term. This includes a presidential order aimed at easing regulatory barriers related to EVs to foster consumer choice, which he suggests is pivotal for economic growth and innovation.

Earlier this year, General Motors was reported to have quietly stepped back from its commitment to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles within a decade. Additionally, Chrysler recently recalled over 320,000 Jeep plug-in hybrid SUVs due to a high-voltage battery defect, which raises the risk of fire whether parked or on the road.