BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A bus carrying a group pushing for St. Augustine to become the site of the first Florida Museum of Black History, caught fire on Interstate-10 in Baker County Friday morning.
The bus was headed to Tallahassee, as Greg White, a passenger on the bus, tells First Coast News a rear tire blew out and a spark caused the fire. He said he heard a loud 'pop' sound coming from the back of the bus.
"Just shocked, initially," White described his reaction to when the bus caught fire.
The bus was pulled over on the side of the interstate in Glen St. Mary; the Baker County Sheriff's Office says "all lanes of travel remain open as the clean up continues."
White said "a convoy" was on its way to pick up the more than 50 people aboard, including deputies with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. He said the oldest person who was on the bus is 91 years old and the youngest is in their 30s.
The Baker County Sheriff's Office said no one was injured and a few passengers were treated for smoke inhalation.
Irvin Bulluck, another passenger, said almost everyone who was on the bus, got on a school bus heading to Macclenny.
After the passengers were taken to a safe area, White said the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office had deputies escort them to Tallahassee. Fortunately, they made it safely to the capital just before noon.
