A San Jose school bus driver is being hailed as a hero tonight after she rescued a disabled student from a burning school bus.
In the end, the fire destroyed the entire bus leaving it a charred mess.
School district officials said the engine compartment of the bus caught fire at 7:30 a.m. while the bus was parked outside Sylvandale Middle School.
According to fire officials, all of the students but one were off the bus when the fire started. The one remaining student was in a wheelchair.
Because of the fire, school officials said the vehicle's electric ramp did not work, so the bus driver had to physically carry the girl off of the bus while the fire was quickly spreading.
During the rescue, the flames spread all the to the second row of the seats, but the driver was able to get the child off of the bus safely. No one was hurt.
Fire crews were able to get the fire out in about five minutes, but the vehicle was a total loss.
The Franklin-McKinley School District identified the driver as Wilma Acosta. They said she was too shy to talk to reporters.
The district said it will look into what sparked the fire. A spokesperson said the bus had a problem-free mechanical history- until today.
