A bus from Florida International University (FIU) ignited into flames on Monday around 5:30 p.m. near the 107th Avenue exit on the Dolphin Expressway. A video shared by the incident-focused site Only in Dade depicted the vehicle's rear engulfed in flames, with thick, black smoke billowing into the sky.
Thankfully, all 20 students and the bus driver managed to evacuate safely, as confirmed to NBC Miami by FIU authorities. Another bus was dispatched by the university to pick up the stranded passengers. The affected vehicle suffered extensive damage from the fire, though the cause of the blaze remains unknown.
Recent History of Bus Fires in Florida
This incident is part of a troubling trend of student transportation buses catching fire in Florida. Back in February 2024, a bus carrying 47 sixth-grade students from Seminole Middle School in Plantation caught fire on the Turnpike near Port St. Lucie while returning from a field trip to SeaWorld Orlando. Despite the flames consuming the rear of the bus, everyone on board was evacuated without injury.
Also, in the same month, another school bus with 42 children and 2 adults aboard caught fire in Miami during a school trip to SeaWorld. Fortunately, no injuries occurred in that incident either.
Related Tragedies and Safety Concerns
These incidents bring to mind the tragic event from March 2018, when a pedestrian bridge under construction near the FIU campus collapsed, resulting in six fatalities and multiple injuries. These events underscore the critical need for regular inspections and stringent safety protocols for school transportation vehicles and infrastructure to prevent potential disasters.