When a Sound Transit bus caught fire Wednesday morning, passengers were lucky to have an expert on board.
Hugo Sotelo, a Bellevue, Wash., Fire Department inspector, was one of 30 passengers riding the Route 566 bus on its Auburn to Overlake route.
“I couldn’t believe the odds,” said Sotelo, that a fire inspector would be on a bus that ignited. Sotelo, seated near the driver, heard a loud pop from the back of the bus around 6:40 a.m. as it headed northbound on Interstate 405.
“It sounded like the tire going,” he said. “Everybody heard it that wasn’t asleep.”
The bus driver pulled the bus to the shoulder just past exit 11 near Interstate 90, went to check the tires and then began an evacuation.
“He got out of the rig, realized the severity and got everyone out,” said Sotelo, who called 911 once he’d exited the bus.
Soon, “there were flames going from underneath the wheel well and going upward into the bus.” That’s when Sotelo’s know-how came into play. “I know the severity and what the fire can do,” said Sotelo, who inspects buildings for fire prevention and investigates fires. “I had to get them out of there.”
Passing drivers trying to help brought fire extinguishers.
“Those little extinguishers aren’t going to do it,” Sotelo said.
Passengers took out their cellphones and started to film the fire curling up from the wheel well and making calls about interrupted travel plans.