SAN MARCOS — Five students and a bus driver walked away unscathed after their school bus caught fire Tuesday morning in San Marcos.
The incident happened near Mission Road and Las Posas Road around 8 a.m. The driver pulled over immediately after noticing smoke coming from the bus, according to San Marcos Unified School District spokesperson Amy Ventetuolo.
All students were safely evacuated on the sidewalk by the time first responders arrived, said the department. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which started in the engine, after the bus was searched to ensure no one else was inside.
Five students and the driver are okay after their school bus caught fire in San Marcos today. It happened near Mission Road and Last Posas Road just after 8:00 a.m. When @SDSheriff @SDSOSanMarcos Deputies arrived on scene, the students were already safely evacuated and waiting on… pic.twitter.com/1Gtl5Gf5kS
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) August 29, 2023
The students were picked up by another school bus and arrived at Twin Oaks High School on time, said Ventetuolo.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the fire, as the regulating agency for school buses.
Ventetuolo said the 25-year-old diesel bus appeared to experience some kind of engine malfunction. She emphasized that all district buses undergo “rigorous” inspections every 30 days, and are also checked every morning before students come on board.
Looking ahead, the district has received grants for 13 new electric buses, and is also set to receive 10 new diesel buses in the near future.
The first electric buses should arrive by early 2024, according to district Executive Director of Transportation Michael Sawyer. As a condition of the grant, the district must decommission one diesel bus with the arrival of each electric bus.
