Fire ruins CAT bus

A Charlottesville Area Transit bus appears to be a near-total loss after a Thursday morning fire. News reports indicate that nobody was injured in the June 2 blaze which completely destroyed the engine compartment of the full-size bus and occurred downtown on Water Street near the Lexis Nexis building.

City spokesperson Ric Barrick says the vehicle was heading to the Downtown Transit Station around 9:15am when the operator noticed smoke coming from the rear. There was just one passenger, who, like the operator, exited safely. Barrick says the investigation indicates that a broken fuel-line and engine heat led to the combustion.

–story updated 2:10pm on Tuesday, June 7