Bus driver hailed as hero after dramatic rescue

DRAMATIC footage from Florida shows how a school bus burst into flames and trapped 25 pupils inside yesterday, but luckily there was an unlikely hero to save the day.

Local firefighters say the vehicle’s engine suddenly caught fire on Friday morning with Challenger Middle School students on board.

The Cape Coral Fire Department took to social media to praise the unnamed driver’s actions — adding that actions likely saved everybody on board.

“The bus driver heard a noise from the engine and then saw smoke coming from under the hood,” a spokesman for the department said.

“She immediately stopped the bus and quickly, successfully, and safely evacuated all 25 students.

“Thanks to her swift actions, there were no injuries.”

The ferocious blaze was quickly extinguished by the emergency fire crew and another bus arrived on the scene to take the children to school.

Cape Coral Fire Department officials added that the fire was accidental and caused by a mechanical failure.