School bus catches fire on Bluffton Parkway

A school bus with nine Bluffton Elementary School students aboard caught fire Monday afternoon on Buckwalter Parkway in front of Hampton Hall. All of the students and the First Student driver safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

At about 4:10 p.m., the driver of a vehicle behind the bus noticed flames shooting out the back near what appeared to be an air conditioning unit.

The man waved at the bus driver to pull over and then helped the students get out, said Lt. Bryan Norberg of the Bluffton Police Department. A second bus arrived a short time later to pick up the children, ranging in ages from 5- to 10-years-old.

The flames charred the rear half of the bus and melted its tires.

The cause of the fire was unknown Monday evening.