A two-alarm fire swept through the storage facility and garage of a school district near Seattle on Wednesday, destroying dozens of school buses. The area was safely evacuated.
A large fire reportedly raged through a Puyallup School District bus facility Wednesday afternoon, the flames sweeping through the area rapidly.
The district said there were 30 employees in the garage at the time, and at least 70 people were at the scene and evacuated after the fire broke out. Photos and video taken of the blaze showed thick black smoke rising into the sky, which could be seen for miles.
District officials said that all staff were accounted for and there were no reports of injuries. As firefighters fought the fire, nearby buildings were cleared as a precaution.
Police said that at least 28 buses have been damaged, with 10 vehicles reduced to scorched frames.
The facility was one of two lots used to store school buses and where the vehicles undergo maintenance. There is no word yet about what started the fire. The investigation is ongoing.
Officials are reluctant to state the full impact this will have on the local schools, as classes don’t begin until Sept. 6, but the district said it will use the remaining bus fleet to ensure safe transport of students on their first day of school.
Puyallup is approximately 36 miles south of Seattle.
