A school bus driver in Ohio helped evacuate over a dozen students after the vehicle caught fire on Thursday morning.
The bus was bringing 15 students to Monticello Middle School in Cleveland Heights, Ohio when a fire broke out behind one of the vehicle’s rear wheels, according to a statement from school district superintendent Liz Kirby.
Photos from the incident shared by the Cleveland Heights Fire Department show flames shooting from the bus’s windows. The yellow school bus appears to be tipped to the side as fire engulfs almost the entire vehicle and billows of dark smoke pour from its shattered windows.
An overhanging tree also appears to have caught fire before the blaze could be extinguished. Photos show a nearby house caught in a cloud of smoke as firefighters work to extinguish the flames.
The bus driver, who the superintendent said asked not to be identified, quickly evacuated the students. Kirby said the driver credited the district’s annual bus evacuation drills with preparing the students for the emergency. She also said the students reacted calmly and followed the driver’s instructions to evacuate safely.
There was a school bus fire this morning at the corner of Cambridge & Northhampton. The bus driver acted quickly and got…
Posted by Cleveland Heights Fire Department on Thursday, February 27, 2025
No injuries were reported, according to the fire department, and the fire was brought quickly under control.
Another district bus was in the area and picked up the evacuated students to bring them to school, the superintendent said. Administrators, social workers, counselors, teachers and additional school staff “jumped into action to ensure supports were in place at the school for students upon arrival,” Kirby said.
The bus had passed an annual mandated state inspection on Feb. 14, 2025, the superintendent said, and all buses in the district’s fleet were re-inspected “out of an abundance of caution” on Thursday.
Officials said the fire’s cause would be investigated by the school district, fire department and state highway patrol.
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
The post School bus driver evacuates 15 students after blaze breaks out appeared first on CBS News.
