A massive tour bus fire on a Southern California freeway left at least one person dead Friday morning and shut down lanes as firefighters battled the blaze.
The fire broke out around 5:38 a.m. on the 60 Freeway near Azusa Avenue in Hacienda Heights, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log.
Initial reports described a bus on the right shoulder with flames pouring from the rear of the vehicle.
By around 6:50 a.m., officials discovered at least one person dead at the scene, and the incident was upgraded from a vehicle fire to a fatality investigation.
Photos and video from the scene showed the back half of the tour bus badly burned, with several rows of seats appearing to have been consumed by flames.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded and eventually extinguished the fire.
Authorities also requested the Los Angeles County Coroner to respond.
The tour bus appeared to be associated with Viajes Azteca, a Mexican travel company.
However, when the California Post contacted a Viajes Azteca location in Pacoima, an employee said they were aware of the incident but could not confirm whether the bus belonged to the company.
It remains unclear how many people were on board at the time of the fire or whether anyone else was injured.
Investigators have also not determined what caused the blaze.
The bus did not appear to have been involved in a crash before catching fire.
Images from the scene showed luggage compartments on the vehicle open as emergency crews worked nearby.
The fire caused major traffic problems during the morning commute.
A SigAlert was issued, and the third and fourth lanes of the freeway were closed while officials investigated and cleared the scene.
Hacienda Heights is located in eastern Los Angeles County.
Federal transportation records for Viajes Azteca reportedly show no crashes involving the carrier during the past two years.
The company underwent 19 vehicle inspections during that period, with five resulting in vehicles being placed out of service.
That out-of-service rate was reportedly slightly higher than the national average.
Despite those inspection results, the carrier currently holds a “satisfactory” federal safety rating.
Authorities have not publicly identified the person who died.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
