School bus flat tire leads to fire, 30 students evacuated: KHP

LINN COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) -- A Fort Scott USD 234 school bus caught fire on Thursday afternoon as it was returning from an 8th-grade field trip to Kansas City.

It happened just before 3 p.m. on U.S. Highway 69 near Prescott.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says the bus blew a tire on the rear driver's side outside dual. Troopers say the driver tried to "limp" the bus to a safe stopping location, but a fire started where the tire blew and spread to the rest of the bus.

Thirty students and three adults on the bus were able to get out safely, and no one was hurt. The students waited at a convenience store in Prescott until another bus arrived to take them home.

In a social media post, USD 234 said the bus was pulled over when it started smoking, and the kids were evacuated. It says the bus then caught on fire. The bus is a total loss.

"We want to commend our bus driver as well as our school staff who was on the bus and helped make sure all of the kids got off safely and were taken care of," USD 234 said. "We also want to thank the Linn County EMS, the Highway Patrol, and the people at the Prescott convenience store for helping to ensure the safety of our kids."