Ohio Bus Driver Praised for Saving 15 Students from School Bus After It Abruptly Burst into Flames

Bus 21 had been at the corner of Cambridge and Northampton in Cleveland Heights when a fire broke out behind one of the rear wheels on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 27, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District said in a news release.

The driver — who was taking the students to Monticello Middle School - reacted “quickly” to evacuate the students “off the bus and to safety,” according to a statement from the Cleveland Heights Fire Department on Facebook.

“First and foremost, I can’t express how relieved I am that no one was hurt, and I am incredibly grateful for the quick response from the driver,” Superintendent Liz Kirby said in a statement shared on behalf of the school district.

“I spoke with the driver today, and they credited the annual bus evacuation drills that drivers do with students with preparing them,” she continued.

Kirby revealed the driver doesn’t want to be identified and said they are “respecting that request.”

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