OAKLAND — Oakland firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a party bus shuttle that caught fire Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 580
The driver, Ralph Kenney of Oakland’s Blessed Van Transportation, said he was on his way to get a smog check when the Ford limousine SUV shuttle stalled and caught fire just past the Park Boulevard exit in the eastbound lanes.
Kenney, who said he felt lucky to be alive, called it “horrible” and said he had never had a vehicle catch fire before. There were no passengers onboard, and Kenney was not injured.
The fire sent clouds of smoke into the sky and briefly blocked two right-hand lanes.
California Highway Patrol officers and an Oakland Fire Department hazardous-materials vehicle responded; officials were able to clear it in time for a tow truck to remove it.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.