19 buses lost due to fire at Durham Region Transit facility in Oshawa
Posted August 19, 2023 9:10 am.
Last Updated August 19, 2023 6:28 pm.
Nineteen buses were confirmed lost and service updates have been implemented following a fire at Durham Region Transit’s (DRT) facility in Oshawa on Wednesday.
Emergency crews were called to the industrial three-alarm fire at a DRT bus facility on Farewell Street, south of Highway 401, in Oshawa around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
It took firefighters around five hours to extinguish the blaze at the one-storey facility which sustained significant damage. No injuries were reported.
Oshawa Fire Services Chief Stephen Barkwell said the roof of the building had completely collapsed and three bus bays had been damaged.
The scheduled service announced on Aug. 16 will remain in place through Aug. 23. DRT hopes to have full service re-instated by Sept. 5, including planned service enhancements scheduled to take effect.
A full list of service adjustments can be found here.
DRT said in a statement they will inspect remaining buses in the following days to ensure they meet service standards.
Workers in the area say they heard a loud boom before the fire broke out.
With files from Michael Ranger
