Tour Bus Fire Near Hacienda Heights Leaves One Dead on 60 Freeway

Firefighters find victim while searching burned tour bus

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. — One person was found dead after a tour bus caught fire following a traffic collision on the eastbound 60 Freeway near Hacienda Heights early Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Fire crews were dispatched at about 5:39 a.m. to a reported collision with fire on the eastbound freeway west of Azusa Avenue. Fire officials said the blaze appeared to have started in the bus’s engine area.

While searching the vehicle, firefighters discovered one person dead inside the tour bus, authorities said. The victim’s identity was not released, and officials did not immediately say whether any other people were injured.

Crews also found cargo and propane tanks inside and beneath the bus, a detail that can complicate firefighting operations because propane containers may pose an added hazard when exposed to intense heat. Authorities did not provide information about the nature of the cargo or say whether the tanks contributed to the fire.

Trip details and cause have not been released

Investigators had not disclosed where the bus originated, its intended destination or how many passengers and crew members were aboard when the fire began. It was also unclear what type of collision preceded the blaze and whether other vehicles were involved.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for additional information. Fire and law-enforcement investigators typically examine vehicle fires to determine whether mechanical failure, crash damage or another factor caused the ignition.

The deadly freeway incident came as traffic authorities were also responding to a separate crash-related SigAlert in Glendale, where the California Highway Patrol reported restrictions from westbound State Route 134 to northbound Interstate 5. Authorities did not indicate that the Glendale crash was connected to the Hacienda Heights bus fire.

The 60 Freeway is a major route through eastern Los Angeles County, carrying commuter, commercial and long-distance traffic through the San Gabriel Valley. A fire involving a large passenger vehicle can trigger significant lane closures and lengthy investigations, particularly when hazardous materials such as propane tanks are reported at the scene.

Officials had not released the name of the person who died or announced a preliminary cause of the fire as of Friday. The investigation into the collision and tour bus fire remained ongoing.