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WITT, Ill. (WCIA) — No one is hurt after a school bus carrying the Pana High School football team caught fire after the Panthers’ game Friday night.
While traveling along Illinois Route 16 near Witt, a fire broke out on a bus carrying a team. Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Rogers of Witt stated that they became aware of a problem at approximately 10:37 p.m. when there were about 45 individuals on board.
“Preliminary indications point to a brake issue as the cause of the bus fire,” Rogers noted. “Those on the bus detected the smell, pulled over, and saw smoke.”
All passengers managed to exit the bus safely before it was consumed by flames shortly after. Coaches shared photographs on Facebook showing the bus completely burned.
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Photo courtesy of the Pana Panthers football team’s Facebook page -
Photo courtesy of the Pana Panthers football team’s Facebook page
The Witt Volunteer Fire Department dispatched three units, and they received assistance from the Nokomis Fire Protection District. They needed 5,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames, and the bus was entirely destroyed.
“We said we wanted to start off hot this season, but this isn’t quite what we meant,” the Panthers coaches joked in their Facebook post.
The quick thinking of both the coaches and school district officials was praised for handling the situation calmly. Rogers applauded their swift evacuation and ensuring everyone was safely distanced, which prevented injuries and kept the situation from worsening.
The bus driver, along with coaches and players, regrouped about a block from the scene. Later, another bus from Pana arrived to transport them back home.
“It is easy in moments of chaos like this to lose composure. We are proud to say that that did not happen on the side of Route 16 tonight,” the coaches added. “Incredible courage was displayed by our bus driver, coaches, and players in a time where panic could’ve caused the unthinkable. Beyond anything else, Panther Nation, that’s what you should be proud of.”
In addition to Witt and Nokomis Fire, Nokomis-Witt Ambulance, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police responded to the fire. The coaches and school district administrators thanked all of the first responders for the roles they played on Friday.
“The safety of our students remains our top priority, and we are thankful this incident ended without injury,” the administrators said.
