School bus catches fire while transporting kids to Cleveland Heights school

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) - A school bus driver “acted quickly” and was able to get all students to safety after the bus caught fire Thursday morning.

On the way to Monticello Middle School, the bus burst into flames at the corner of Cambridge and Northhampton Roads.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and students were picked up by another district vehicle and brought to school.

There were no injuries.

Maureen Ottman who lives in the neighborhood says she saw the bus coming down the street, but then heard a loud boom.

Ottman then looked outside and all she saw was flames.

“It is like nothing I have ever seen before, black smoke everywhere. This house evacuated. The house across the street evacuated. All the kids got off the bus,” says Ottman.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Ohio State Highway Patrol told 19 Investigates they inspected bus number 21 just recently, on February 14.

No safety violations were found.

They sent us a list of recent school bus inspections.

We found the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District has a lower percentage of buses out of service now than it did six months ago, at just over three percent.

State patrol conducts school bus inspections daily at school districts across Ohio.

They complete an annual inspection and then inspectors revisit the school about six months later to conduct inspections again.

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Superintendent, Liz Kirby, sent the below statement to staff and families:

Dear CH-UH Staff and Families,

This morning, a fire broke out behind one of the rear wheels of bus 21 while it was at the corner of Cambridge and Northampton roads in Cleveland Heights, prompting the driver to quickly evacuate all of the students off of the bus. First and foremost, I can’t express how relieved I am that no one was hurt, and I am incredibly grateful for the quick response from the driver. I spoke with the driver today, and they credited the annual bus evacuation drills that they do with students with preparing them. (The driver has asked not to be identified, and we are respecting that request.) I also must credit the students for reacting so calmly and following the driver’s instructions to get to safety.

At the time of the fire, the bus was transporting 15 students to Monticello Middle School. Another CH-UH driver was in the area and was able to pick up the students and get them to school. Administrators, social workers, counselors, teachers, and additional staff at Monticello jumped into action to ensure supports were in place at school for students upon arrival.

We are investigating the cause of the fire in partnership with the Cleveland Heights Fire Department and the state highway patrol, and we will share information when it becomes available. Although bus 21 passed its annual mandated state inspection that just took place on February 14, 2025, our mechanic teams have re-inspected all buses in our fleet today out of an abundance of caution.

Again, I am truly thankful for the safety of our students and thoughtful action from the adults who care for them.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Liz Kirby