Bus Filled With Michigan Band Students Catches Fire in Florida

More than 50 students and staff members from a West Michigan school escaped safely after the bus they were riding in caught fire in Florida.

Students from Carson City-Crystal Schools were in Florida for a marching band trip where they were scheduled to perform at Disney World and Universal Theme Parks.

Band Students's Excursion to Florida

News sites report that the bus arrived in Orlando around 6 am Sunday (3/17). That arrival time was too early to check into the group's hotel, so the marching band spent the day at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Chad Parmenter is the school's band director. He tells Fox 17 that the group enjoyed the day and had an opportunity to get some new experiences.

"We had a blast yesterday enjoying Disney and enjoying each other," Parmenter said. "And you know, seeing the kids, especially like the first time being there — I had a couple kids' first time to Florida, a couple kids' first time out of Michigan, you know, just traveling with a good group of kids and having new experiences with them."

 

Students' Bus Catches Fire

After a full day at Magic Kingdom, the students boarded the bus and headed for the hotel. But it was then that the trip took a bad turn.

On the way to the hotel, the charter bus blew a tire. Then a second tire blew, and the bus began to fill with smoke. Passengers inside the bus say they saw flames outside the bus.

Parmenter praised the students for getting off the bus quickly and in an orderly fashion.

Everyone made it off the bus safely but watched as the flames intensified. Most of the band's instruments and uniforms were stored in the compartment underneath the bus.

Most of the passengers only had the clothes they were wearing, and their performance at Disney had to be canceled.