North Philly fire damages dozens of decommissioned SEPTA buses
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Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Fire Department
A blaze in North Philadelphia at SEPTA's largest bus depot torched 40 buses on Thursday.
Why it matters: Pollutants like benzene were detected in the air around the agency's Midvale Depot in Nicetown, leaving the air "not entirely safe," the city's Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson said during a news conference after the fire.
Driving the news: The damaged buses were already slated for decommission, SEPTA officials said at the news conference.
- Roughly 15 were electric buses, which hadn't run in several years and were involved in ongoing litigation with the manufacturer.
- There were no injuries and it remains unclear how the fire began.
Zoom in: The fire sent massive plumes of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles during the morning rush hour commute.
🚨 Threat level: After the fire, the city's health department warned residents in the air to stay inside and close their windows and doors.
- Yes, but: The elevated levels of pollutants, including ethyl benzene and carbon monoxide, were already dropping in the hours after firefighters contained the fire.
- The city is continuing to monitor the air quality around the facility.
