Pleasantville School bus fire

[CAM502 6]

Was this bus occupied at the time or was it empty??

[GFD70 4]

School bus ignites in Mount Pleasant; 3 escape injury

By LANNING TALIAFERRO

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 24, 2005)

MOUNT PLEASANT — A preschooler and two adults escaped injury this morning when a school bus caught fire and was engulfed by flames.

The 20-seat bus was headed up hill on steep Road Hill Road off Pleasantville Road about 8:20 a.m. when a fire broke out in the engine, Pleasantville Fire Chief Michael Ferguson said.

Soon, the flames spread to the rest of the bus, burning the seats down to their metal frames and rising 15 feet into the air to burn tree leaves above as well as brush alongside the bus. The wet vegetation prevented the brush fire from spreading.

The preschooler, bus driver and an aide got off before the fire spread and were not injured.

The bus is owned by Astra Transportation Corp. of Yonkers. It was on its way to pick up two other children for transportation to a private school in Yonkers, said Anthony Multari, the bus company's manager.

About 30 firefighters from the Briarcliff and Pleasantville fought the fire, which was under control in 10 minutes, Ferguson said.