Bus catches fire in Ottumwa, driver and staff rescue passengers from danger

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - A fire destroyed a private bus on Wednesday morning in Ottumwa, with the organization’s employees helping to rescue its passengers as the fire burned.

At around 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the Ottumwa Fire Department was sent to a report of the fire at First Resources Crop, located at 710 Gateway Drive. Flames were visible on the bus under the hood. Within minutes of the call, driver Jerry Carder and First Resources staffers Elizabeth Cox and Judy Wilt were able to evacuate its passengers, some of which were disabled and required extra assistance to get to safety.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before they spread to surrounding areas. All staff on duty were sent to battle the blaze.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, which fire department officials gave special commendation to Carder, Cox, and Wilt for facilitating through their quick actions to help the bus passengers.

The bus, worth about $95,000, is a total loss, according to officials.

Fire department officials believe the fire was due to a mechanical failure in the area of the engine.

Copyright 2022 KYOU. All rights reserved.