More Than 25 School Buses Damaged, Destroyed in Fire
A Pennsylvania school district’s bus garage catches fire, destroying 16 buses and damaging others that are parked nearby. No one is injured, but classes are canceled the day after.
SOUTH WHITEHALL, Pa. — A school district here had to cancel classes on Friday after a fire damaged or destroyed more than two dozen school buses.
The garage, which was housing 16 of the buses at the time, caught fire on Thursday night, destroying those vehicles and damaging other buses that were parked nearby, according to the Parkland School District website. No one was injured in the fire. The garage was also destroyed, WFMZ reports.
The district was able to resume classes on Monday, due to receiving buses from two leasing companies, and mechanics moving buses outside the garage away from the flames and working over the weekend to repair over a dozen buses that sustained minor damage, according to WFMZ. Mechanic Paul Frantz told the news source that many of the mechanics “are very tired but we take pride in this fleet, it means more to us than just a job.” Additionally, the district was able to put eight reserve buses into service, the Associated Press reports.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, WFMZ reports.
More Safety
Geotab Expands Fleet Safety Tools With Video Coaching, Risk Insights
New safety and video capabilities aim to help fleet managers assess risk, support drivers, and take targeted action through video coaching, red-light violation detection, and more.
Read More →
How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program
Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured
Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.
Read More →
When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving
From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.
Read More →
What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help
School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.
Read More →
Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents
Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.
Read More →
Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest
Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.
Read More →
Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty
With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.
Read More →
Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System
The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.
Read More →
How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours
As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.
Read More →