IndyGo bus fire at 38th and Meridian ends in arson arrest

INDIANAPOLIS — A fire that engulfed an IndyGo bus early Wednesday at the northside stop near the 38th Street and Meridian Street intersection is being investigated as arson.

The Indianapolis Fire Department said crews were dispatched to the scene around 7:10 a.m. Videos of the blaze circulated on social media just after 7:15 a.m. The fire was under control within 10 minutes, the fire department said.

There were four people on the bus, including the driver. The bus driver said all passengers evacuated through the middle door of the vehicle. Indianapolis Fire Department officials said two passengers were transported to Eskenazi Hospital to treat slight injuries.

The estimated damage to the bus and shelter is $2 million, according to the fire department. The bus is part of the city's Red Line.

The Indianapolis Fire Department's director of media relations, Rita Reith, said in an email Wednesday afternoon that "there was no malfunction with the bus or its electrical systems."

IndyGo director of communications, Carrie Black, said early eyewitness reports suggest a passenger started the fire.

Police later in the day announced an arrest in connection with the fire. The individual has been preliminarily charged with two counts of arson, one count being with damage more than $5,000, and the other count being arson endangering human life, according to Fox59. Both counts are felonies.

Black said that cleanup is complete at the station and the Red Line has returned to its normal route as of Wednesday afternoon. She added that the loss of the bus should not impact future operations.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyGo bus fire at 38th and Meridian ends in arson arrest