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Authorities said the bus was on Interstate 694 when the engine died Wednesday afternoon. The bus driver coasted into a parking lot before heavy smoke appeared.
There were five passengers on the bus when it caught fire; four of them were in wheelchairs.
The driver, who has not been identified, stayed on the bus to help unload the wheelchair-bound passengers because she knew how to free them, said New Brighton Deputy Director of Public Safety John Ellickson said.
“The driver is the real hero in this thing,” Ellickson said. “It was sort of a tense situation.”
As the fire grew, people and nearby stores grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to get the passengers out.
Assad Awaijane, who owns Clock Tower Liquor, saw the smoke and rushed out to help with three other men. He used the fire extinguisher on the flames, while the other men helped rescue the passengers.
“There were a lot of good Samaritans,” Ellickson said. “It was a substantial fire. ... It’s fair to say that seconds made a difference in this situation.”
Jay Drangeid, a manager at nearby L.A. Fitness, said the smoke inside the bus was so thick the men couldn’t see the passengers. He used a fire extinguisher to break windows and add ventilation.
“We got the last person out literally 45 seconds before the whole passenger section was engulfed in flame,” Drangeid said.
New Brighton Director of Public Safety Bob Jacobson said three of the citizen responders were treated at the scene.
The driver, the five passengers and two New Brighton police officers were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation. They were released Wednesday evening, said an Allina Hospitals and Clinics spokesperson.
No one was burned.
