California school bus driver saves students as bus catches fire

IRVINE, Calif. — Forty-one high school students and an assistant coach escaped a fire on the school bus they were riding home from a water polo match thanks to the quick actions of their bus driver on Wednesday, NBC4 News reports.

When the bus lost horsepower, overheated and began to smoke, the bus driver pulled the bus over to the freeway’s right shoulder, according to KABC. No injuries were reported.

Derrick Lozano, assistant coach for Foothill High School, told NBC4 News that the bus started to catch fire from the back and moved forward in about two minutes or less. He added that the driver stayed calm and went to the back of the bus to make sure all the students got off the bus safely as the bus was smoking. A second bus was called to pick up the students.

California Highway Patrol officers who directed traffic around the bus also praised the bus driver, according to NBC4 News.