Locals Grab Fire Extinguishers As Bus Erupts In Flames Outside The Diddy

As of 4:33pm Sunday 31 May 2026

Eyewitness Account

Sarah Huntley, from Glen Innes, was having dinner at The Diddy when she noticed a glow coming from the rear of the bus and ran inside to get a fire extinguisher.

“I saw a glow coming from the back of the bus, ran inside to get the extinguisher, passed it over the fence, jumped the fence and then the man I handed it to started extinguishing,” Sarah said.

Sarah said the bus driver then approached with another extinguisher, which she used, although she said it only lasted about 20 seconds.

As the fire intensified, Sarah and her nephew moved back and began directing traffic on both sides.

“Not long after there were multiple explosions from the heat,” she said.

When asked whether the bus appeared to have broken down before the fire started, Sarah said they had noticed the bus had been stopped for a while and that it appeared to still be running at that point.

We then ask Rob Schell (other eyewitness mentioned below) the same question and he said, “We think he was already broken down before the fire started and that he already had his hazard lights on. The bus appeared empty and it looked like he was stopped while the traffic lights were green.”

As of 1:05pm Sunday 31 May 2026

Busways spokesperson gives a statement

Busways can confirm a bus fire occurred about 6.30pm yesterday on Route 261 at the corner of Norwood and Kenneth Street, Longueville.

The driver identified the issue and safely evacuated four passengers. There were no injuries.

Fire and Rescue NSW attended the scene and the diesel bus sustained significant damage. The vehicle was returned to Ryde Depot for assessment, and the Office of Transport Safety Investigation (OTSI) has been notified.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

As of 12:35pm Sunday 31 May 2026

Local Couple Among First To Respond

Local resident Rob Schell and his wife Liz were having dinner at The Diddy with their children and dog before heading to the St Ignatius’ College production of Singin’ in the Rain when they noticed something was wrong with the bus.

“We left to get to the Singin’ in the Rain junior musical and as we left I saw the bus had a fire in its back engine area and the driver was stopped,” Rob told In the Cove.

“We told him to get out and turn off the engine. He got out and then it really did catch quite quickly. You could see the fuel dripping.”

Rob and a young woman from The Diddy grabbed fire extinguishers and attempted to put out the blaze before emergency services arrived.

“I unloaded one fire extinguisher from The Diddy and a young woman from The Diddy did too. It didn’t touch the sides,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rob’s wife Liz helped direct traffic away from the area while the fire intensified.

Rob said the driver appeared shaken but remained calm, spending much of the incident on the phone, which Rob believed was likely to the depot.

“I felt a bit sorry for the driver as he seemed worried he’d be in trouble,” Rob said. “He appeared okay, just a bit rattled.”

see further down in this article for an image of Rob attempting to put out the fire before emergency services arrived on scene. 

As of 12:00pm Sunday 31 May 2026

UPDATE: In the Cove has now heard from a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson regarding last night’s bus fire.

We have been advised that Triple Zero was notified of the incident at approximately 7:00pm. Two fire trucks were dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters located the fire at the rear of the bus. There were four passengers and one driver on board at the time. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Once the fire had been extinguished, the vehicle was towed from the area.

We have also reached out to Transport for NSW and Busways and hope to hear back from them shortly.

If you witnessed the incident or have any first-hand accounts, photos or videos from the scene, please send us a DM via social media or text us via our WhatsApp Tips Line – 0470490417.

You can also submit information via our contact form

Thank you to everyone who has already helped us with updates, photos and videos.

As of 11:30pm Saturday 30 May 2026

Emergency services responded to a bus fire on River Road West, Longueville outside Lusso Kitchen at The Diddy on the evening of Saturday 30 May.

In the Cove began receiving reports from readers shortly after 7:00pm, with multiple eyewitnesses sending photos and videos showing the bus engulfed in flames.

Several readers reported hearing a loud bang as the incident unfolded, while others described seeing flames and smoke visible from surrounding streets.

Witnesses told In the Cove that members of the public attempted to assist before emergency services arrived. An eyewitness who was leaving The Diddy with her children when the fire broke out, described watching a “hero”(who we now know was a local named Rob Schell) attempted to put out the fire using an extinguisher from the venue. Apparently he and a young woman got fire extinguishers from the Diddy and unloaded them on the fire but it hardly touched the sides. Another bystander was out directing traffic.

Emergency services attended the scene and successfully extinguished the blaze. The burnt-out bus was towed from the scene just before 9:00pm.

A source with knowledge of the incident told In the Cove the bus was operating Route 261 at the time of the fire, and that no injuries were reported.

We have been told that the bus involved has been confirmed as a diesel vehicle from the Willoughby depot.  In the Cove is in the process of requesting comment from Busways, Fire and Rescue NSW and local businesses near the scene.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

Traffic was significantly impacted while emergency services worked at the scene, with motorists reporting lengthy delays and road closures in the area.

What We Know So Far

• A bus caught fire outside Lusso Kitchen at The Diddy on River Road West, Longueville
• The bus was a diesel vehicle from the Willoughby depot, operating Route 261 at the time
• Emergency services attended and extinguished the blaze
• The bus was towed from the scene just before 9:00pm
• Multiple eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud bang as the incident unfolded
• Members of the public attempted to assist using fire extinguishers before emergency services arrived
• No injuries have been reported at this stage
• The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

Thank You to Our Roving Reporters

A huge thank you to everyone who sent photos, videos and updates to In the Cove tonight via the Lane Cove Chat by ITC Facebook group, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and our WhatsApp tip line.

The speed and quality of the information we received helped us keep the community informed as the incident unfolded.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such an engaged community of roving reporters who keep their eyes and ears open and are willing to share what they see. Your photos, videos and first-hand accounts are often the reason we can provide timely updates on breaking news and incidents affecting our local area.

Community journalism only works because of community support, and tonight was a perfect example of that. Thank you for helping keep Lane Cove informed.

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