Huntsville school bus erupts into flames en route to school

A bus in Huntsville broke down and caught fire.

An electric school bus went up in flames Monday morning.

At around 8:30 a.m., the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department received a call about a vehicle fire on Earls Road in Huntsville.

When they arrived they found a yellow school bus completely engulfed in flames.

All students had been removed from the bus.

“The school bus had broken down prior to the fire starting. The driver of the bus had called for a replacement bus, which picked up the passengers shortly before the flames became visible,” said Grant Murchison, Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department’s fire prevention officer.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, however Murchison said it’s not believed that the large battery of the electric school bus was involved in the fire.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has been contacted to investigate the incident.

Murchison said due to the amount of water used to extinguish the fire, they are asking drivers to avoid Earls Road between Muskoka Road 3 North and Campus Trail due to icy conditions.

None of the homes on Earls Road suffered damage and no injuries have been reported, he said.

Hydro One also attended as a precautionary measure, as the bus was in close proximity to the hydro wires.