Fire Heavily Damages School Bus; 12 Students Escape Injury

March 30, 2012

Fire heavily damaged an Escambia County school bus that had a dozen elementary students on board this morning.

The fire  erupted about 6:50 a.m. in bus 2-99 on Thompson Road near Crary Road, just south of Century. The fire destroyed the dash and driver’s area of the bus and caused heavy smoke and heat damage throughout.

All 12 Byrneville Elementary School students on the bus and the driver escaped without injury.

“That’s why we practice; they know how to get out,” Byrneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan said.  “Procedures were followed and everybody was safe. I’ve very thankful to God for that.”

The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the blaze.

Pictured: Fire heavily damaged this school bus Friday morning near Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.


Comments

19 Responses to “Fire Heavily Damages School Bus; 12 Students Escape Injury”

  1. Alice on March 31st, 2012 10:39 am

    This is happening to often. Your always hearing of a school bus some place catching on fire. Why? People this is your children, it’s time to find out why this is happening. It’s not just in Escambia County it is all over the country. Why are school buses catching on fire? Is it the same model of bus, is it manufactured by the same group? Why? Why? Why? Is it going to take a death before anyone decides enough is enough? Our government spends more money on trying to convince us their right and know more about what we need, what we should eat, how we should spend our time. Why not spend a little money investigating a disaster waiting to happen!!!!!!!!!

  2. Byrneville Parent on March 31st, 2012 8:55 am

    My child also rides this bus and thankfully he was not riding this day. So glad Mrs. Flowers is ok!

    To the other parent, I completely understand what you were trying to say. Of course, no one would expect the bus driver to call each parent…this should be a responsility of school administration, which is obviously what you were trying to point out….not sure how other readers didn’t get it.

  3. Simington Oliver Brandsworth on March 31st, 2012 8:32 am

    There’s always one, isn’t there? No wonder she’s upset — she wasn’t called before any other parent was, before the children’s conditions were all checked, before their safe conduct to the school was assured, and before staff worked with them all hands-on to calm them. Perhaps she should weigh the reasonable delay in receiving the news (that an event had happened that had NOT harmed her child) against the value of her child’s life and wellbeing, and the fact that the principal herself immediately drove to the site of the fire to personally assure the safety of the children.

  4. virginia riddle on March 31st, 2012 6:46 am

    We should be more thankful for our wonderful bus drivers. Sometime I think all our focus is elsewhere and these wonderful bus drivers bring these children in the morning and take them home in the afternoon. Thank you Mrs. Flowers for a job
    well done.

  5. Parent on March 30th, 2012 6:43 pm

    Let me Restate: I am Very thankful for Mrs.Flowers for keeping all the children safe and getting them off the bus. However i am upset that i was not notified of the situation that my child was involved in until 3 HOURS after the fact and that my child was told she could Not call me After she arrived at the school when she was still visibly upset. Even after my child was denied the phone call , No personal took the time to call and info me that the children were involved in an incident and that my child was upset and needed to talk to me!

  6. barbara on March 30th, 2012 5:40 pm

    Dear (parent) , our only concern when something like this happens is the children. We thought that what u all wanted out of drivers. But remember transportation is hiring everyday and we would love for u to come be apart of our team. You may think driving a bus with a bus load of children is easy, but if u have one behind u in your car u know that not easy. We carry very precious cargo. I know my child on my bus r very special to me. Thank God every one is ok

  7. Parent on March 30th, 2012 4:55 pm

    So let me rephrase and correct. I am VERY thankful to Mrs. Flowers for getting the kids off the bus safely. I’m talking about how the rest of the situation was handle. It was unprofessional!

  8. Roger on March 30th, 2012 4:15 pm

    Thank goodness the driver had a sense of awareness about her to make the decision to stop the bus and get the kids off. She did a great job and everyone is safe.

  9. Gary on March 30th, 2012 2:23 pm

    Wow…… To Parent, get a grip on reality. The driver did what was necessary at that given time to evacuate the bus and get all the children off safely, you child included. Be thankful for that and quit complaining about how it was handled so poorly. If it was handled so poorly, why were there no serious injuries? The driver was responsible and did indeed keep your child safe. How about a thank you to the one’s that did keep your and all the children safe and not these negative comments that are not warranted during this incident….

    Great job bus driver and children for following directions and being calm so that everyone remained safe during this incident!!!

  10. me on March 30th, 2012 2:06 pm

    We must make sure we get the older buses off the roads. Not saying it couldn’t happen on a newer bus but more things can go wrong. I feel for byrneille elementary for it is a charter school and don’t have much funding. So glad everyone was okay. And if that was bus 299 it should of been off the road long ago I use to drive that bus and it was garbage then. Lol.

  11. byrneville parent on March 30th, 2012 2:02 pm

    I am SO glad my kids got off the bus safe and sound!! Thank you GOD!!! Maybe now they will get the much needed new bus…I am also thankful that the principal called me so that I would NOT hear this or read this from somewhere else.

  12. byrenville resident on March 30th, 2012 1:55 pm

    the bus driver has one issued phone from the school. how would it be fair to let one child call before another. no one child is more important except to thier own paretns. the school was notified and they should have made the calls. can u imagine the bus drivers shock and being shaken up? as well as trying to keep the children calm and safe. there will always be some to complain. thanks to everyone who was involved in keeping these children safe and to the fire departments

  13. nicole h on March 30th, 2012 1:46 pm

    I am so glad my niece jessica and nephew james were ok and all the other kids!

  14. Parent on March 30th, 2012 1:27 pm

    Let me start out by saying, Thank GOD the kids are ok! However, my child was on this bus. The situation was handled VERY poorly this morning and after going through such a situation, she was denied from calling me. Ridiculous!!! THANK YOU William for keeping everyone informed of issues in our area. It is sad when you hear news affecting your kids from a 3rd party and not from the so called responsible ones whom are supposed to keep your kids safe.

  15. Kevin Enfinger on March 30th, 2012 12:59 pm

    I remember the years at school when we would always do the fire drills. some people think they are irrelevant but in cases like this it pays off. Hats off to the driver for doing the procedures to get the kids off and hats off to the students for retaining what they learned. Thank God for the safety

  16. byrenville resident on March 30th, 2012 11:50 am

    God is so awesome!! I’m very thankful that everyone is ok. The fire didn’t erupt until everyone was evacuated from the bus and good job to that bus driver for quick thinking to remove the children. I remember a few years back this happening to another bus in this area. If I’m not mistaken the bus driver actually sustained injury. So greatful that wasn’t the situation here. to God be the glory!!

  17. Dawn on March 30th, 2012 11:32 am

    Thank God everyone was okay!! Thats not my daughters bus but i just had some kind of feeling this morning and i drove her to school.

  18. okay on March 30th, 2012 10:05 am

    THANK GOD everyone got off safely.. that explains why the bus never came to pick my son up..

  19. Uh??? on March 30th, 2012 10:02 am

    Oh my gosh! Thank god nobody was hurt! These kis will be tramatized tho,please god help these kids.