Brixton bus fire: Double-decker bursts into flames on busy south London high street

• Video credit: Rachel Cook

A double-decker burst into flames on a busy south London high street on Friday morning.

The back of the bus became engulfed in flames on Christchurch Road in Streatham Hill, at around 9:50am.

All passengers and the driver made it off the bus before firefighters arrived and there were no reports of any injuries, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

Laurence Nealon, 28, from Brixton, said: “I was in a work meeting when I noticed the smoke going past my window.

“I popped downstairs with my housemates to see what was going on and was shocked to see the blaze.

“There was some murmur that the bus would explode and caused a bit of anxiety but it quickly transpired it didn’t.

“As soon as the fire brigade arrived it was speedily taken care of.

“It’s the last thing you expect to see when you’re working from home in the morning.”

An LFB statement said: "The Brigade was called at 9:50am and the fire was under control by 10:22am. One fire engine from Brixton Fire Station attended the scene."

Around 19 people had dialled 999 to report the incident, with footage from the scene showing dozens of passersby watching as smoke bellowed out from the vehicle.

It's not yet known what caused the fire.

In response to speculation that the London heatwave was responsible, the fire service tweeted: “Busy afternoon with a number of fires across the capital that are very visible.

“A number of people are asking whether they are related to the heat.

“All fires will be investigated and it’s too early to say what the causes are at the current time.”

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