A school bus caught on fire on Thursday afternoon in Wayne County.
According to a county spokesperson, firefighters received a call around 3:18 p.m. about a bus on fire on Till Drive, near the entrance of the Drake Estates subdivision in Goldsboro.
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The driver of the bus evacuated the 21 elementary school children onboard, and firefighters had the fire under control around 3:28 p.m. No one was injured.
"The driver was getting the kids out very, very quickly. She did an awesome job. Once she got them out, she moved them to the next intersection, which is about 100 yards away from the active activity," said Tracy Cooper, who witnessed the fire and captured the escape on video.
A Wayne County Public Schools spokesperson identified the bus driver as Tammy Lewis. WRAL has tried to contact Lewis but has not yet received a response.
Cooper credits Lewis' quick actions for preventing the situation from becoming worse.
"She was all business. I will give her 100%," Cooper SAID. "Looked like she had nerves of steel. I don't know what was going on inside of her. Looked like she was handling it the best she could."
Wayne County Public Schools said Friday the fire may have started in an electrical panel.
"The WCPS Transportation Department has been in communication with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction School Transportation Division regarding the school bus fire and is now awaiting next steps with regards to any official state review or inspection of the bus," said a school district spokesperson in an email to WRAL.
The bus was on its afternoon route, dropping Grantham Elementary schools off.
"The children were visibly upset. They were crying and shaking. I didn't try to go up to them too much because I knew I was a stranger to them," Cooper said. "Once I was able to run in and grab a fire extinguisher, unfortunately it was pretty much engulfed. I knew the fire extinguisher wouldn't make a difference."
The district also said it was a 2011 international school bus.
According to district officials, students participate in bus evacuation drills within the first five days of each semester.
School leaders say they plan to recognize Lewis at the next Board of Education meeting on November 3.
WCPS sent the following message to families, following the incident:
This message is for Grantham Elementary families who have a child that rides Bus 549. We want to inform you that Bus 549 experienced mechanical issues this afternoon while dropping students off in a neighborhood. After becoming concerned, the driver immediately evacuated students from the bus and moved them a safe distance away. We sincerely appreciate the quick actions of the driver, as this mechanical issue soon turned into a serious fire onboard the bus. We also appreciate the first responders who assisted in putting out the fire. All students were okay and were placed on a new bus, which has resumed its route. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.Wayne County Public Schools