Sayreville School Bus Catches Fire With Students, Driver On Board

SAYREVILLE, NJ — A school bus carrying elementary school students in Sayreville was ravaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon, but the bus driver and the aide are being hailed as heroes as they safely evacuated all children from the burgeoning blaze.

The bus caught fire at 3:55 p.m. while it was on Louis Street, said Sayreville Police.

There were seven students, an aide and the driver on the bus at the time; the bus was coming from Arleth Elementary.

"Thanks to the quick and heroic actions taken by the driver and aide, all the students and staff were safely evacuated from the bus before it was engulfed in flames," said Sayreville school superintendent Richard Labbe. "As soon as the driver smelled smoke and saw it rising from the hood, she immediately pulled the vehicle over to a safe place and with the help of the bus aide, quickly and safely evacuated all the students from the minibus."

CBS has photos of the fire tearing through the minibus, and NJ.com has a photo of the charred shell of the bus.

CBS quoted Sayreville dad Jorge Vazquez, who said he first noticed smoke coming from the engine as the bus dropped off his son, 8. He told the bus driver, who quickly evacuated all seven children from the bus.

"Awesome how calm she was. Nice and accurate and simple instructions she gave to the kids, and the kids were able to acknowledge and understand what was happening," Vazquez told CBS. "I quickly told everybody just go to my backyard, it's a lot safer for everyone."

He said just seconds after she got the kids off the bus, it burst into flames.

Sayreville Police, who responded Tuesday along with firefighters, said what caused the fire still remains unknown.

It was a fairly new minibus, said the school superintendent.

"According to our Director of Transportation, this is a fairly new vehicle. Therefore, we are currently unaware of why it combusted," said Labbe. "The parents of all students were notified immediately. Within minutes of the event, a replacement bus returned all students to their homes safely."