West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it was attending to an “incident” near a shopping centre in Crawley at around 12:30pm.
Images and videos posted on social media show the roof of a blue single-decker bus on fire at the side of the road. Typically, both the hydrogen storage tanks and fuel cells are installed on the roof of buses.
A spokesperson for the fire service said three fire engines and an aerial ladder responded to the fire.
Sussex News reported the vehicle involved was believed to be a hydrogen bus operated by local transport firm Metrobus. H2 View has contacted Metrobus for further information.
The fire was brought under control with no injuries reported.
Go-Ahead Group, which owns Metrobus, began operating a fleet of 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses supplied by Wrightbus in 2022, with liquid hydrogen being supplied by Air Products.
These buses were set to operate on routes serving Crawley, Gatwick Airport, and Horley.
Go-Ahead had signed another deal for zero-emission buses from Wrightbus, which was expected to include some hydrogen vehicles.
It has not been confirmed whether the vehicle involved in the blaze was supplied by Wrightbus, and H2 View has reached out for clarification.
Earlier this year, seven hydrogen fuel cell buses at a depot in France were destroyed by a fire linked to an electrical cause.
This latest incident further underscores the need for rigorous safety protocols in all hydrogen applications – especially as it moves beyond its traditional industrial setting.
Preparing hydrogen for safe public applications
As hydrogen’s use expands beyond its traditional chemical and industrial applications, safety procedures must adapt to accommodate users without specialist expertise.
The molecule has long been central to various processes and industries and will remain so. The need to mitigate climate change is making hydrogen relevant for domestic, commercial, and consumer applications where it has not been used before.
Safety is of paramount importance in all hydrogen applications. Nobody should get hurt, and assets must be protected through the energy transition. Safety equipment, procedures and smart controls already exist. When these are properly applied by people with appropriate training, each economically viable hydrogen application can be implemented without concern.
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