Muscogee school bus catches fire while en route for maintenance

A Muscogee County School District bus caught fire while en route for scheduled maintenance, MCSD announced Tuesday evening.

No students or personnel were aboard the bus at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported, the news release says.

“The bus driver initially noticed fumes coming from the bus, while parked at Carver High School, prior to dismissal,” MCSD communications director Mercedes Parham said in the news release. “The driver, in accordance with District’s protocol for reporting safety concerns related to transportation vehicles, immediately notified the District’s Transportation Department of his concern. Transportation then dispatched its mechanical team to review the bus on site. Upon review, Transportation determined it best to remove the vehicle from the site and proceed with maintenance at the District’s bus shop.

“While en route to the maintenance shop, the bus ignited with small flames near the intersection of Whitesville Road and Veterans Parkway.”

MCSD operations chief David Goldberg told the Ledger-Enquirer that the bus ignited while it was being towed, so the driver wasn’t aboard then, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Parham said.

“The District will work in cooperation with investigators to review the incident thoroughly and ensure that we continue to meet the safety standards for all students and personnel who rely upon our transportation services,” she said.

This story was originally published February 20, 2018 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Muscogee school bus catches fire while en route for maintenance."