CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two weeks after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus caught fire with several students on board, school officials said the cause of the fire is still unknown.
In a press release sent Thursday, CMS’s investigation, which was performed in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Public Transportation, concluded with no real indication of what caused the engine of bus 364 to erupt into flames on October 19.
During the fire, which happened on Dunlavin Way in east Charlotte, several students from South Mecklenburg High School and the driver were able to escape without serious injury. One person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
CMS announced that it will inspect 250 school buses, activity buses, and spare buses with similar engine types as a proactive measure to prevent any future incidents, with an emphasis being placed on examining the wiring of those buses. According to CMS, no areas of concern have been found as of yet.
Parents call the inspection a step in the right direction.
“They do a fairly good job but incidents like this scare [and] concern you,” said one parent of a student in CMS schools, still he said he wasn’t hesitant to send his daughter to school on the bus.
The bus involved in the fire was inspected just two weeks prior to the incident and passed with no serious problems.