Parents concerned after Yuma school bus catches fire on Interstate 8
Paul Vozzella
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – On Tuesday evening, a school bus caught fire on Interstate 8 near Araby Road.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported. However, the incident raised concern among the community, especially for parents.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire from the front of the vehicle before it spread to the back, but there were some challenges.
“Being an alternative fuel vehicle presented additional challenges, just because of the hazards that come with propane and finding a shutoff valve for it,” Yuma Fire Department Public Information Officer Francisco Leon said.
As for future use of school buses, the school district is adamant that transporting students in a secure manner is priority number one.
“I want to reaffirm to our families that this is a safe mode of transportation,” District One Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator Christine McCoy said. “We take this instance very seriously. We will investigate and determine the cause of this, and we’ll share that information with the community, so that they’re aware, as well, what the cause was.”
The good news is the district does not expect to encounter such a problem in the future.
“What I can say is our school buses undergo regular maintenance, so this really was an event that we haven’t seen in the past, and don’t expect to see in the future,” McCoy stated.
The investigation on what led to the propane sparking is still ongoing.