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.
Cleveland Heights Fire Department
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.
No injuries were reported, according to the fire department, and the fire was brought quickly under control.
Cleveland Heights Fire Department
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.
