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Community Corner

Potential Fire Causes SamTrans Evacuation

Route 391 broke down outside of Millbrae BART and firefighters were on the scene.

SamTrans bus route 391 experienced an engine malfunction yesterday when heading southbound at the intersection of Millbrae Avenue and Rollins Road at 8:58 a.m., right by the Millbrae BART station.

Passengers sensed a burning-like smell but didn’t make much of it until a pedestrian made hand gestures to the bus driver at a stop light. The driver then stopped and went to check the back of the bus, at which point he urged the passengers to leave the bus and take another one at the BART Station.

“The smell was bothering all of us that were sitting in the back, but no one said anything,” said Johnny Castro, 26, a San Mateo resident. “Sometimes there are weird smells like that in the street, especially in industrial zones. So I thought this was one of those things. I’ve never seen that happen in a SamTrans bus before.” 

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Firefighters arrived within three minutes to aid the bus operator as the rear window compartment was fogging up with white smoke.

"I was coming down from the BART station to catch the bus to school and I could smell it," said Leander Johnson, 18, a College of San Mateo student. "I didn't know exactly what it was, but I know regular buses don't usually smell like that. Then I saw the firefighters come and help put it out."

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The bus was one of the old models that still circulate for multi-city services. A SamTrans spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

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