Nearly two-dozen middle school musicians were led off a stalled charter bus moments before it caught fire on I-85 Saturday morning.
Flames burned the interior of the bus and damaged musical instruments worth thousands of dollars, but no one was hurt in the fire. Twenty-three members of the Mauldin Middle School Orchestra from Simpsonville, S.C., were on the bus bound for a performance at Carowinds.
“We got everyone of f the bus before it caught fire,” said orchestra director Brian Gencorelli, adding that his next thought was, “‘Oh my God, the instruments are still on the bus!’”
The bus was heading north on I-85 near the U.S. 321 exit when a front driver’s side tire blew out around 8:05 a.m., according to Gastonia firefighters and the orchestra director. The fire began in the rear brake area of the bus.
“There was just a funny smell, a tire blew, we got off the bus and it caught fire,” Gencorelli said.
Violins, violas, cellos and basses were burned in the fire, Gencorelli said.
Six adults accompanied the students, who were scheduled to perform in the Carowinds Festival of Music, a competition for student bands and orchestras held at the Charlotte amusement park. The charter bus was traveling in a caravan of six buses heading to the music festival.
The vehicle fire brought northbound traffic on the interstate to a standstill for nearly 45 minutes. Cars, trucks and tractor-trailers sat stationary as firefighters sprayed the flaming bus and emergency crews evaluated the school group.
One northbound lane was reopened to allow traffic to begin flowing as police and firefighters continued their work. The road was eventually cleared and the burned bus towed. Gastonia Fire Department spokesman Jim Landis said the vehicle was destroyed.
Gaston Emergency Medical Services paramedics took the middle school group to the Pancake House on North Chester Street and waited with the children and chaperones for another bus Saturday morning.
Mauldin Middle is in Simpsonville, just southeast of Greenville, S.C.
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