Lindora Richardson, Driver, Saves 6 Children From Flame-Engulfed School Bus (VIDEO)

Lindora Richardson, a 37-year-old school bus driver, managed to save six children before her bus erupted into flames yesterday in Charlotte, N.C., CNN reports.

The video shows the bus being engulfed in smoke and flames as a firefighter works to put it out. According to CNN's report, the fire happened Wednesday while Richardson was driving students home from the Chantilly Montessori Elementary school.

Richardson led the children to the back of the bus and caught them as they jumped to the street with no injuries.

District spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte told CNN that Richardson did everything correctly in a stressful situation.

"We are very proud of her and for her following proper procedures," Stalberte said. "It could have taken a very different turn had she not done her job correctly."

Richardson, however, doesn't consider herself a hero, she told local station WSOC-TV.

"I was just doing my job, I feel like the kids were heroes," Richardson said. "They stayed safe and calm under the whole situation, so I would call them the heroes."

According to the Charlotte Observer, the bus had been in the district's fleet since 1999, and officials believe the fire was caused by a problem with the bus's motor for a fan heater.

Comments

[Polloflife]

02:32 PM on 02/11/2012

Wow, what true courage she showed. I really hope she has the opportunity to receive what it says there at John 17:3. That kind of love is not shown too much these days.

[thenewyorkgod]

09:35 AM on 02/11/2012

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Off topic but... I have no knowledge of firefighting techniques, so someone who knows please chime in. Did it seem like the fireman was handing this fire in a very unsafe manner? Knowing there were no kids on the bus, did he really need to be 1 foot away from the flames at the door, and then walk onto the bus with his hose to confront the flames? His technique seems very troublesome and highly dangerous. Comments?

[lobstur]

11:18 AM on 02/13/2012

your comment starts out weird...

[sunshine2446]

10:43 PM on 02/13/2012

Lol ........

[anselmentds]

07:54 AM on 02/11/2012

She stopped the bus because smoke was coming from the hood of the bus. She helped the kids get off the bus. The bus didn't erupt in flames until everyone was off the bus for quite some time. She did the right thing in getting the kids off of the bus. It is probably procedure. Hero? No, just a smart employee!

[Joe Lanzafame]

08:03 AM on 02/11/2012

I agree. We have so overused the word "hero" that it has lost all meaning.

[anselmentds]

09:17 AM on 02/11/2012

And, not to discount that this woman did a good job. But, that's just it, she did her JOB. Good for her. The media has to embellish everything.

[Sandy Werner]

11:19 AM on 02/11/2012

Every single time she walked back onto that bus she risked her own life. Hero? Yes.

[anselmentds]

12:28 PM on 02/11/2012

quote from the story: "Richardson led the children to the back of the bus and caught them as they jumped to the street with no injuries." . . . where did you get that she kept walking back onto the bus? Didn't happen. She got off, and the kids jumped out to her. Protocol requires that she get the kids off if there is smoke. . . .she did her job. But "hero" is a bit strong. . .. .

[jeffbrooks01]

07:43 AM on 02/11/2012

THIS, is exactly one of the reasons there are not seatbelts on school buses. Imagine if this driver was delayed in getting panicking children untangled from seat belts to help them evacuate the bus. Believe it or not, this risk is much greater than the risk of children being injured in a collision while riding the bus.

[Joe Lanzafame]

08:05 AM on 02/11/2012

That's fine if your bus bursts into flames. But if you roll the bus down an incline? You could make the same argument for a passenger car but the fact is your chances of being tossed around in a collision are FAR greater than the odds of your vehicle bursting into flames.

[jeffbrooks01]

06:30 AM on 02/12/2012

This is true, though unlike a passenger car, buses have compartmentalized seating (admittedly whether that is true of this 13 year old bus is questionable). NHTSA has published data that indicates about 10 children have died from collisions while riding on a school bus in the past 7 years (many more have been killed outside and around the bus). Riding on a school bus is 10 times safer than walking to school, and 4 times safer than riding in the family car, in terms of fatal incidents. By comparison, having to untangle pre-school children from seatbelts before a bus is engulfed in flames could kill that many children in a single incident.

[candy8teen]

07:38 AM on 02/11/2012

I am sure if the parents feel she is a hero, I think she did a great job and did what she was trained to to do, Walk to the back of the bus having the kids follow you to the back door. The bus was not in golfed in flames in-till way after the kids where off the bus. I don't know that makes her a Hero But I do commend her for her quick thinking .

[SleepingPowder]

07:33 AM on 02/11/2012

Bus on fire, how'd I know there was going to be a woman driver, huh? Huh? Am I right, men? Huh? I'm only kidding! Haaaiiil to the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver...!!!

[henryptnm]

07:08 AM on 02/11/2012

The bus has been the school district since 1999. That was 12 years ago. Has there been any recalls for the make of that bus concerning the motor for the fan heater? Some school districts keep the buses for over 10 years and are these buses checked? When I went to school in the late 1950's to early 1960's, that school district had buses made in the late 1940's to early 1950's. So many break downs with these vehicles. One time I didn't get home until after 7:00 PM. The school district begged money from the town to purchase new buses. I wonder if it is in this school district?

[Fran04]

06:59 AM on 02/11/2012

This bus was 13 years old. Did the bus company keep up proper maintenance on their school bus fleet? Did the bus company low ball their bid to get the school bus contract? What is the school district’s budget for school bus’ rental, purchase or repair? Had the school district initiated budget cut and no budget increase? When the school district asked for increased funds did the town resident said, No? Did the residents put money before children’s lives? Will the bus company keep sending out their buses, which are riding death trap until someone get seriously hurt or kill? Capitalism at its best, Money before lives.

[SleepingPowder]

07:27 AM on 02/11/2012

But they never say that kind of stuff at the meetings. "Budget increase to keep all your kids from dying in a hellish inferno?"
"Um... okay."

[jeffbrooks01]

07:55 AM on 02/11/2012

While these are good questions one and all (noting that schools don't initiate budget increases. They either receive one or they don't, often from the community willingness to fund an increase), but Capitalism at it's best? That statement requires a grand variety of assumptions (the first being that it was a contracted bus service and not school district provided service). If a private company that low-balled their bid, the district was not obligated to take the low-ball offer at the expense of the kids (and again, perhaps the local community was not willing to help fund the money for a more responsible contractor. Regrettably, we do live in a world where money is a factor in almost every facet of life. We all want platinum goods and services but seldom consider these things are not free.

[ny johnny]

06:54 AM on 02/11/2012

Great job I am sure the parents of those children feel as most do she is a hero.

[danno1400i]

06:52 AM on 02/11/2012

as beevis would say "fire-fire"

[SleepingPowder]

07:20 AM on 02/11/2012

Probably had a doob. When I was a kid, I was on the interstate when every car ahead of me hit this patch of ice and drove off the road. I was blitzed and remained calm, pulled her out of a tail spin and drove by the unlucky motorists and watched as the ones behind me went off the road too.

Probably none of us should've been on the road, but isn't it ironic the high teenager gets through?

[StevenRussell1]

06:18 AM on 02/11/2012

Lindora, may God Bless You Richly.

[disabled54]

06:16 AM on 02/11/2012

way to go Linda

[Jakester59]

05:52 AM on 02/11/2012

Kudos! ... to the bus driver for acting quickly enough to spare any harm to the children.

[Jakester59]

05:42 AM on 02/11/2012

Strange... I wonder what kind of a heater fan motor doesn't have a fuse connected to the wiring to avoid a fire like this? I used to work on school busses. It doesn't make sense that the fire was caused by a faulty heater unless the heater was tampered with or altered to run without a fuse. Shade tree mechanics who hot wire anything are just not too bright.

[anselmentds]

07:52 AM on 02/11/2012

It's Charlotte, NC. . . .

[Chastity Worley Burton]

08:01 AM on 02/11/2012

A huge town..so your point is?

[nomadbud]

05:38 AM on 02/11/2012

GG Lindora Job well done.