School bus catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio prompting students to evacuate

A school bus driver in Cleveland, Ohio, was forced to act fast Thursday morning when the vehicle packed with students caught fire.

Video shared online shows the yellow school bus fully engulfed in flames in a residential area and spewing black smoke into the sky. Fortunately, by that point the bus driver had already ushered all 15 youngsters on board to safety.

The harrowing ordeal took place while the driver was transporting the children to Monticello Middle School in the suburb of Cleveland Heights.

“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,” said Liz Kirby, superintendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, in a statement.

The school district said in a media release Thursday it is not naming the driver, who asked to remain unidentified.

The fire broke out behind one of the rear wheels of the bus, prompting the driver to evacuate all of the students.

By the time Cleveland Heights firefighters arrived, the blaze had fully consumed the bus, sending thick black smoke billowing around it. Video and photos on social media show firefighters battling the inferno before eventually containing it.

“There were no injuries and the fire was quickly brought under control,” the Cleveland Heights Fire Department said on social media.

The school district said in its news release that both the fire department and Ohio State Highway Patrol were investigating the cause of the blaze.

Another district bus was in the area and picked up the evacuated students to transport them to school, according to the school district.

The district made administrators, social workers, counselors, teachers and other staff members available Thursday to offer counseling and support services for the students when they arrived.

The bus that caught fire had just passed its annual mandated state inspection Feb. 14, the school district said, adding that “our of an abundance of caution,” all buses in the district’s fleet were re-inspected after the incident.

Kirby said she spoke with the driver, who credited the annual bus evacuation drills drivers do with students for preparing the employee for the dramatic evacuation.

“I also must credit the students for reacting so calmly and following the driver’s instructions to get to safety,” Kirby added.

The school district had no more information to release Friday morning when reached by USA TODAY.