Bus Driver Saves 22 Elementary School Kids From Raging California Wildfire

Dec 13, 2018 by apost team

A newly hired bus driver, a bus filled with children, and a wildfire raging out of control make this story sound like a plot from a Hollywood movie, but for bus driver Kevin McKay, it was all too real.

What started as a typical day at Ponderosa Elementary School, in Paradise, California, could have ended in tragedy when the now infamous California Camp Fire descended on the city. As smoke and flames approached the school, parents frantically picked up their children and headed to safety. When Kevin McKay heard there were 22 students who hadn't yet been picked up, he knew he had to do something.

With the approval of the principal and the help of two teachers, Kevin McKay rushed the students onto the bus. McKay, the teachers, and 22 scared students set out on what would be the most terrifying journey of their lives.

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Heavy smoke caused poor visibility and fire burned along the road. Panicked drivers caused accidents while they were fleeing Paradise. Kevin McKay compared the scene to Mordor, a scorched Middle-earth landscape in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy, while Mary Ludwig, one of two teachers on the bus, felt as though she was experiencing the apocalypse.

At one point, another driver crashed into the bus. Traffic jams forced McKay to stop in areas filled with heavy smoke. The students were having trouble breathing. McKay and the teachers discussed walking the rest of the way to safety, but they decided they were better off staying in the bus.

The teachers made makeshift masks for the students by ripping one of McKay's t-shirts into strips and soaking the strips in water. The masks filtered out the smoke to help the students breathe easier

It took 5 hours for Kevin McKay to drive the bus to safety. Along the way, he picked up a stranded motorist whose car had broken down and saw things he'll never be able to forget.

Local news stations are comparing Kevin McKay to Charon, a character from Greek mythology who ferried children across the River Styx. Parents are calling him a hero. Mary Ludwig believes he is a gift from God. One thing we know for certain is if it wasn't for Kevin McKay 22 students, two teachers, and a stranded motorist might not have been reunited with their families.

Do you think Kevin McKay is an everyday hero? Let the world know what this brave bus driver did!