Quick-thinking driver gets kids off school bus before blaze, California officials say

A Thermal school bus driver quickly evacuated her 23 passengers when the bus began smoking before bursting into flames, California authorities told news outlets.

Passers-by told the driver the bus, headed to Toro Canyon Middle School, was smoking at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 31, The Desert Sun reported.

The driver pulled over and evacuated the 23 children on board before the bus caught fire, KABC reported. No injuries were reported although the driver was shaken up.

Video posted by KESQ showed the charred shell of the bus following the fire, which was extinguished by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters.

“It just speaks to the priority of our students is safety,” Veronica Zepeda with the Coachella Valley Unified School District told the station.

Thermal is a city of 1,200 people in the Coachella Valley about 135 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published April 3, 2023 at 6:53 AM with the headline "Quick-thinking driver gets kids off school bus before blaze, California officials say."