The charter bus carrying the Stanford University Track Team caught fire in Seattle on I-5 on Friday afternoon, NBC-affiliate King 5 first reported.
The coach along with the 30 student-athletes escaped the bus unharmed after it caught flames shortly after 2 p.m.
"There was a loud sound on the bus and bus driver pulled over and he thought he had blown a tire and stepped off the bus and looked and there were flames coming form the side," coach Chris Miltenberg said.
Chopper video showed the team on the side of the road in front of the bus. Video from a passer by shows the bus engulfed in strong flames on the freeway.
“People started to run because the flames got really big and we were afraid the bus was going to blow up,” said Stanford student Jordan Oaks.
The team is in Seattle for the University of Washington invitational track meet.
Stanford head coach Chris Miltenberg says all 31 students and coaches on board calmly disembarked and ran to safety. Fire crews extinguished the flames before the students' luggage was destroyed.
Local
Stanford student and Seattle native Jordan Oakes says members of the University of Washington track team had extra clothes ready for their rivals in case they needed new gear.
Investigators believe the fire may have been sparked by overheated brakes and a blown out rear tire.
#BREAKING: The charter bus carrying the Stanford University track team caught fire in Seattle Friday afternoon; no injuries reported. https://t.co/Qk51Ebj9ul pic.twitter.com/HVotK2zj3t — NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) January 25, 2019
Video shows fire that engulfed #Stanford Track Team's bus on I-5 in #Seattle. No injuries. Luckily everyone got out. Team is there for the UW Invitational. Cause is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/5d8HUOtFmb — Ian Cull (@NBCian) January 25, 2019
