ENCINITAS — At 11 a.m. Wednesday, a 12-passenger shuttle providing service to visitors at San Diego Botanic Garden caught on fire on the road in the South African Garden.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, however fire department personnel indicated that a battery or electrical wiring could be at fault. There were no passengers on the vehicle at the time. There was a volunteer driving the shuttle at the time who was able to leave the vehicle quickly and was unharmed. He was the only passenger on the shuttle.
“The immediate response from the Encinitas Fire Department who contained this fire quickly was key to ensuring both the safety of our visitors and the plants in our collection,” said Julian Duval, president and CEO of San Diego Botanic Garden. “We are grateful to our local firefighters who help to keep our community safe.”
The road along the South African Garden will be closed for the remainder of the day. Guests can still use the path through the South African Garden to visit all other areas of the Garden.
The Garden remained open after being determined it was safe for visitors.
