Nobody was hurt when a school bus from Norge Elementary School with about 25 students on board caught fire Tuesday on Scott’s Pond Drive near the Premium Outlets.
James City County Fire Department District Chief Bob Ryalls said fire and emergency personnel responded to a report of a vehicle fire at about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday. They found the school bus on fire. The driver had evacuated all of the students from the bus, taking them to the garage of a private residence on the street to shelter them from the heavy rains.
Ryalls said crews were able to put out the fire in a short period of time. The fire appears to have originated from the rear engine of the vehicle — he said it is a flat-faced bus that has an engine near the back — causing significant damage. Williamsburg-James City County School Division Spokesperson Betsy Overkamp-Smith said another bus came and picked up the students and brought them home. The loss of the bus will not impede busing operations when students return to school Monday, she said.
Officials from the school division and fire marshals are on scene trying to determine how the fire started and how badly it damaged the bus. Ryalls said fire marshals are also talking to bystanders to get a better idea of what happened.
The school bus was the only vehicle involved in the incident.
