A Bethel mother noticed her child’s school bus on fire. Then she helped evacuate 22 kids
By John Lauritsen
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MINNESOTA (WCCO) — There were some scary moments at a Bethel, Minnesota, bus stop earlier this month. A school bus caught fire while driving kids home.
The end of the school day is normally routine in Kari Thorp’s neighborhood. But a couple weeks ago, as her daughter was getting dropped off, Throp noticed smoke and flames coming from under the bus and alerted the driver.
“It was crazy. I’m just thankful that he was very calm,” said Thorp.
They worked quickly to get all 22 kids off, safely. Her Ring doorbell captured the East Bethel Elementary students gathering in front of her house, as the flames began to spread.
“Kids were crying. Kids were scared and freaking out,” said Thorp. “It was quite emotional and kind of frantic.”
Within minutes, the fire had taken over the front of the bus.
“It moved pretty fast. It was probably within 15 minutes that thing was engulfed,” said Throp. “It was crazy to see the tires and hear the tires explode.”
School staff and volunteer firefighters arrived quickly. They got the flames under control, and it was when the bus was finally towed away that you could see just how intense the fire was. The heat melted part of the road in front of Thorp’s house. There is still some glass in parts of the road.
In the end, some backpacks, some lunch boxes, and a school bus were lost in the fire. But Thorp and other parents along this street know things could have been much worse.
She and the bus driver were recognized by parents and school leaders for their heroic efforts. As investigators work to figure out what caused the fire, Thorp thinks about what might have happened if she hadn’t seen the flames.
“I don’t think he would have gotten very far. And I don’t think we would have been able to get those kids off the bus as fast. I don’t know what would have happened. Because a lot of little ones sit up front and that’s where it all started, was right up front,” said Thorp.
In a statement, St. Francis Area Schools recognized Thorp, bus driver Rick Gratton and others for helping the kids to safety. Parents say a recent bus safety course at school may have helped with the quick evacuation.
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