Bus catches fire on southbound I-5 express lanes in Seattle

A bus that caught fire just after 7 a.m. caused a nightmare morning commute, as cars headed to Seattle inched along on southbound I-5.

Check current traffic conditions

A Sound Transit articulated bus safely evacuated all of its passengers, after a fire started near the rear tires or axel, according to Washington State Trooper Julie Judson.

“They offloaded passengers onto the shoulder. Shortly after the bus (became) very fully engulfed,” Judson described.

There are no reports of passenger related injuries. Firefighters utilized a near by overpass to help put out the fire that lasted nearly 30 minutes.

The Washington State Patrol reopened all express lanes in the southbound direction around 9:30 a.m. Earlier in the morning, state troopers started working to turn around vehicles on the express lanes and get them onto I-5 southbound.