Irmo and Columbia firefighters respond after school bus catches fire

Firefighters from Irmo and Columbia responded early Wednesday morning after a school bus caught fire at Dutch Fork Elementary School.

Several people called in to report the fire around 7:25 a.m., Irmo Chief Fire Marshal Jeff Allen said.

The bus driver got students off the bus as it approached the school because of a smell of smoke, said Derek Phillips, public information specialist for Lexington-Richland School District 5. No buildings caught fire.

“Everyone got off safely and no one was injured,” Phillips said.

The bus was a total loss, but footage from the camera on the bus is expected to be salvageable, according to the fire marshal.

The fire started in the back of the bus, Allen said, indicating that it might have had something to do with the engine. The S.C. Department of Education is responsible for investigating further and determining the cause of the fire, he said.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Irmo and Columbia firefighters respond after school bus catches fire."