Tour Bus Fire on California's 60 Freeway Kills 1, Closing 2 Eastbound Lanes

Q: Why was one person trapped in the fatal 60 Freeway tour bus fire while others potentially escaped the burning vehicle?

It is not yet known why one person was unable to get out while others may have escaped. Authorities have confirmed only that one person died after the tour bus caught fire on the eastbound 60 Freeway near Azusa Avenue around 5:38 a.m. Friday. Officials have not identified the victim, have not said whether that person was the driver or a passenger, and have not released a verified passenger count. The available reporting suggests some people may have gotten off the bus before flames fully engulfed it. Video from the scene appeared to show possible passengers standing on the freeway shoulder with luggage, and one report said a second person was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation. But those details have not been consistently confirmed by all agencies or outlets. What may explain the fatality is the speed and location of the fire. The rear half of the bus was heavily burned, and some reports said the blaze may have started in the engine compartment at the back. In bus fires, rear-origin fires can quickly fill the cabin with smoke and heat, reducing visibility and making movement to exits difficult, especially for anyone seated farther back, asleep, injured, elderly, or slowed by panic. At this stage, any more specific reason would be speculation. Investigators will need to determine where the victim was found, how fast the fire spread, whether exits were usable, and whether smoke or a medical emergency prevented escape.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 21

At least one person was found dead around 6:50 a.m. after a tour bus caught fire on the right shoulder of State Route 60 near Azusa Avenue in Hacienda Heights.
CHP logged the blaze at 5:38 a.m., and images showed the rear half of the bus burned through several rows of seats while Los Angeles County firefighters extinguished the fire.
Two eastbound lanes — the third and fourth — were closed under a SigAlert, adding to morning traffic delays as investigators called in the Los Angeles County Coroner.
Officials said the cause remains unclear, and the bus did not appear to have crashed before the fire; the vehicle appeared linked to Viajes Azteca, which has a satisfactory federal safety rating.