Crime & Safety

Empty Minnetonka School Bus Catches Fire, No One Hurt

The engine of a school bus owned by First Student Transportation caught fire while parked at a gas station along Highway 7.

An empty school bus servicing the Minnetonka School District burst into flames early this morning, while sitting at a gas station along Highway 7, west of . No one was injured. 

The bus was headed to pick up children on Minnetonka's school bus route No. 75, which services , and . No students were yet on board at 7:15 a.m., when the fire was reported. 

The bus was parked at the Holiday gas station, at 19955 Highway 7, near the intersection of Old Market Road in Shorewood.

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According to Fire Chief of the Excelsior Fire District Scott Gerber, the bus' driver was inside the Holiday station getting a cup of coffee, when a passerby came into the shop and alerted her that smoke was coming from underneath the bus' hood. When the driver came outside, she also noticed smoke coming from the front of the bus. 

, spokesperson for First Student, the company which operates this school bus, said the driver immediately called dispatch for assistance, and that dispatch then contacted emergency responders. The driver, Richmond said, has been with the company since 1995 and has a clean driving record.

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Two Excelsior Fire District trucks and one South Minnetonka Police car arrived on the scene within five minutes. By that point, the bus' front half was completely engulfed in flames. Excelsior firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes.  

"Certainly it started from the engine compartment and spread its way into the passenger compartment," Gerber said. "Fortunately we don't see school buses start on fire every day."

Pending an investigation, Gerber couldn't speculate on the fire's cause. Employees from the Holiday gas station said they weren't allowed to comment on the incident.

A replacement bus was dispatched immediately and the school children originally scheduled to ride the bus made it to school on time and safely. First Student drivers undergo 50 hours of rigorous training for situations like this one, Richmond said. Also, all Minnetonka school kids who ride a bus practice emergency evacuation drills twice a year. 

Richmond said First Student is closely examining this incident,  "We're taking this investigation very seriously to determine, what, if any next steps need to be taken." 

By 10 a.m., the charred bus was at a secure First Student lot, under investigation by fire and transportation officials. 


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