Staff at Blackburn bus station have been praised for their quick actions after a double-decker bus caught fire.

The incident happened just after 11am on Tuesday when the bus became engulfed in flames. The fire appears to have started in the rear of the bus.

A section of Salford was closed to traffic as emergency services attempted to put out the fire and stop it spreading onto the bus station itself. 

The fire service said nobody was injured during the incident as Blackburn with Darwen Council closed the bus station for the day. The driver of the bus managed to  get out before the fire took hold.

The road was reopened in the afternoon with the bus removed from the site at around 2.15pm.

Video footage courtesy of I Walsh

Passenger Isaac Walsh was travelling from Clayton Le Moors to Preston. He filmed the fire taking hold as he pulled into Blackburn bus station. The driver can be seen backing away from the smoke which billows out of the adjoining vehicle.

Isaac said: "We had just pulled in and there was smoke coming from the exhaust area and then it spread pretty fast. Soon it was on fire.

"They got us off our bus really fast. It was not that busy as it was mid-morning.

"They got people out of the bus station too.

"There was nobody on the bus as far as I could see.

"The staff were great at getting everyone off the busses and out the station, and well done to the fire brigade, they were there within eight minutes."

Isaac said he managed to catch another bus from Penny Street soon after.

"There was not much of a delay and I managed to catch the bus out."

Lancashire Telegraph:

Bus passengers spoke of ‘chaos’ trying to find their connections as vehicles were diverted onto Penny Street. Others thanked emergency services for tackling the fire and stopping it from spreading.

AS IT HAPPENED: Live updates from Blackburn Bus Station

A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Two fire engines and an aerial ladder platform from Hyndburn were called to a fire involving a bus at Blackburn bus station.

"Firefighters used three jets to extinguish the fire and crews are checking to see if the fire has spread to the bus station. No rescues or injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation."

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesperson said staff were on the scene to manage the road closure and the bus station would be closed until further notice.