Bus Fire at The Diddy: Locals Jump Into Action as Route 261 Bus Goes Up in Flames

A diesel bus erupted in flames outside The Diddy on River Road West, Longueville on the evening of Saturday 30 May 2026, drawing a swift response from locals who grabbed fire extinguishers and directed traffic before emergency services arrived on the scene.

The bus was operating Route 261 when the fire broke out at around 6:30pm at the corner of Northwood Road and Kenneth Street. Four passengers and the driver were on board at the time. All were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Locals Step Up

The first to react was Sarah Huntley, who was dining outdoors at The Diddy when she spotted a glow coming from the rear of the bus. She immediately ran inside to grab a fire extinguisher, passed it over the fence to a bystander, then jumped the fence herself. The bus driver had also appeared with an extinguisher by that point, which Sarah was able to get hold of and use, though she said it lasted only about 20 seconds.

Also dining at The Diddy that evening were local resident Rob Schell and his wife Liz, who were there with their children and dog before heading to St Ignatius’ College’s production of Singin’ in the Rain.

“We left to get to the 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 was the bystander Sarah had handed the extinguisher to over the fence, and between them they threw everything they had at the fire. “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. As the fire grew, multiple explosions rang out from the heat. Sarah and her nephew moved back and began directing traffic on both sides of the road, while Liz Schell did the same further along.

The Driver

Rob said the driver appeared shaken but remained calm, spending much of the incident on the phone, likely to the depot. “I felt a bit sorry for the driver as he seemed worried he’d be in trouble. He appeared okay, just a bit rattled,” Rob said.

Eyewitnesses believe the bus may have already broken down before the fire ignited, with hazard lights on and the traffic lights showing green. “We think he was already broken down before the fire started,” Rob said. “The bus appeared empty and it looked like he was stopped while the traffic lights were green.”

Emergency Services Respond

Triple Zero was notified at approximately 7:00pm and two fire trucks were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters located the fire at the rear of the bus and successfully extinguished the blaze. The burnt-out bus was towed from the scene just before 9:00pm.

Busways Confirms the Details

In a statement to In the Cove, a Busways spokesperson confirmed the bus fire occurred at around 6:30pm on Route 261. The driver identified the issue and safely evacuated the four passengers on board. No injuries were sustained.

“Fire and Rescue NSW attended the scene and the diesel bus sustained significant damage,” the spokesperson said. “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 been confirmed.

Community Journalism in Action

In the Cove received reports, photos and videos from readers shortly after 7:00pm as the incident unfolded, and covered it in real time through the evening. You can read our original live coverage here.

A huge thank you to everyone who sent through information, including Rob and Liz Schell and Sarah Huntley, as well as all the readers who reached out via the Lane Cove Chat by ITC Facebook group, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and our WhatsApp tip line. Community journalism only works because of community support, and Saturday night was a perfect example of that.

This was our coverage on the night as details unfolded

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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