Fire guts HART bus on I-75 near Gibsonton

GIBSONTON — A Hillsborough Area Regional Transit bus caught fire early Monday on Interstate 75 south of Gibsonton Drive.

Only the driver was aboard the bus at the time of the blaze, according to fire officials. He escaped without injury.

The fire broke out about 5:30 a.m. as the bus headed south on the interstate, near Mile Marker 250, authorities said. Firefighters arrived to find the bus engulfed in flames. With no fire hydrants available, firefighters had to call for water tankers to bring 3,500 gallons of water to the scene.

Once the tankers arrived, the blaze was quickly put out, officials said. The cause was being investigated.

Traffic was backed up as the gutted bus and emergency vehicles blocked some of the southbound interstate lanes.