Six Detroit buses destroyed in fire at DDOT maintenance facility

Fire department sources tell Action News that six DDOT buses were destroyed in an accidental fire, at the Coolidge bus yard this morning.

Detroit firefighters were called to the two alarm fire at the DDOT maintenance facility early Wednesday morning that took several hours to put out.

The facility is located on the city's west side on the 14000 block of Schaefer where Senior Chief Mike Herron says the buses were engulfed in flames and the roof collapsed above them.

Herron says the buses were contained by a firewall to separate them from the rest of the fleet.

Firefighters used foam inside the building as there were no hydrants available. "I am very proud of how the men responded," said the chief, "We had a limited supply of water."

There are reports that the sprinkler system inside the building was not working.

Black smoke from hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel blew toward nearby homes. Authorities monitored the air quality and were concerned over smoke damage. They are uncertain if hydraulic fluid may have caught fire.

Officials do not believe bus service will be affected today as firefighters were allowing drivers into the yard to access their buses.

One firefighter is reported to have slightly injured his shoulder while pulling a hose across the yard.

Dozens of fire trucks as well as a HazMat team were on the scene.

Detroit spokesperson Steve Serkaian tells Action News that the buses, worth $350,000 each are insured. Serkaian says the damage would have been much worse had the employees not acted so promptly. "Several mechanics and bus drivers put themselves at risk to drive other buses through the black smoke so they would be safe."