A charter bus caught on fire on southbound Highway 17 on Friday morning, prompting the evacuation of the passengers on board, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The fire began near Idylwild Road, not far south of Lexington Reservoir above Los Gatos, at about 9 a.m. as the bus traveled toward Santa Cruz.
CHP Officer Ross Lee said that the driver moved onto the right shoulder, and all 32 children and five adults on the bus safely evacuated with no injuries. He said that the vehicle belonged to charter company Quality Assurance Travel, and that it was coming from a school in Saratoga, but did not know which school.
All of the occupants were loaded onto a second bus, which continued to their destination. A cause of the fire has not yet been identified.
Photo gallery: Bus fire on Highway 17
A tour bus with 32 children and 5 adults caught fire on Highway 17 Friday. Credit: Santa Clara County Fire 
A tour bus with 32 children and 5 adults caught fire on Highway 17 Friday. Credit: Santa Clara County Fire 
A tour bus with 32 children and 5 adults caught fire on Highway 17 Friday. Credit: Santa Clara County Fire 
The Santa Clara County Fire Department said the fire involved in the engine of the bus and multiple area fire departments arrived to help quickly extinguish the blaze. “Thanks to the quick actions of the driver and chaperones, all passengers were safely evacuated before firefighters arrived,” the department wrote on X.com.
Lee said that two southbound lanes were shut down for about 40 minutes while fire personnel managed the flames, which stayed contained to the bus. Both lanes were reopened at around 10:30 a.m.
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