A Cleveland school bus became engulfed in flames while transporting 15 students during its morning route on Thursday, officials said.
The Cleveland Heights Fire Department said no injuries were reported, giving credit to the bus driver’s fast response to the growing flames for acting quickly and evacuating all students to safety.
The bus was on its way to Monticello Middle School and had already picked up 15 students before the flames erupted, school officials said, adding that the fire broke out from behind one of the rear wheels of the bus.
Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District Superintendent Liz Kirby commended the driver, who has asked the school to keep their identity anonymous, for evacuating the bus quickly.
“I can’t express how relieved I am that no one was hurt, and I am incredibly grateful for the quick response from the driver,” Kirby said.
The superintendent said that she spoke to the driver Thursday, who credited the annual bus evacuation drills that drivers conduct with students for preparing them to act swiftly during the incident.
“I also must credit the students for reacting so calmly and following the driver’s instructions to get to safety,” Kirby added.
After the students were rushed from the bus, a different district vehicle responded to the scene to take the children to school.
Kirby said that “administrators, social workers, counselors, teachers, and additional staff at Monticello jumped into action to ensure supports were in place at school for students upon arrival.”
Cleveland Heights Fire Department touted that the fire was “quickly brought under control.” However, no details about the cause of the fire have yet been released.
Kirby said the school district is investigating the cause of the fire in partnership with the fire department and the state highway patrol and would share information with parents and staff members when it becomes available.
According to the district’s statement, the bus had passed its annual mandated state inspection on Feb. 14. Kirby added that, out an abundance of caution, the district’s mechanic teams re-inspected all the buses in the schools fleet Thursday.
The fire broke out when the bus was on the corner of Cambridge and Northhampton in the Cleveland area, filling the suburban street with a dark cloud of smoke.
Photos released by the Cleveland Heights Fire Department show the smoke billowing from the school bus, with red flames bursting from the windows of the vehicle.
