Josephine Community Transit services were unaffected by a fire that engulfed an electric bus at the Public Works charging area this week. No one was harmed in the fire and similar vehicles have been taken out of service as a precaution.
JCT program supervisor Scott Chancey said the 35-foot low-floor Gillig Battery Electric Bus was not scheduled for service Wednesday when a transit operator saw a fire emerging from the vehicle's roof. The operator immediately called 9-1-1 and other operators followed existing protocol to move other vehicles away.
Chancey said their team's quick actions prevented further loss of equipment and ensured the safety of everyone at the charging area. He said he's thankful no one was hurt and that they were able to continue serving residents without interruption.
Chancey said the incident is categorized as a runaway thermal event, which happens when a battery cell shorts out or is damaged, causing it to discharge its electrical energy.
Grants Pass firefighters aided in the emergency by keeping the thermal event from spreading from the battery packs on the top of the bus to those at the back. Fleet maintenance crews disconnected the remaining undamaged battery packs right after firefighters stopped their operations.
Public Works employees assisted throughout the incident and after the fire with directing emergency responders, moving vehicles and clean-up operations. The situation was monitored for 24 hours to ensure the damaged battery cells did not heat back up and reignite.
Chancey said JCT should be able to continue all services without issue and the Rogue Valley Transportation District has offered to loan them buses if needed.
