Elementary Students Evacuated from School Bus Before It Burst into Flames After Girl Notices the Fire

Authorities are investigating after a school bus transporting kids in Tennessee burst into flames.

The incident happened on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at around 4:15 a.m., according to Fox affiliate WZTV, ABC affiliate WKRN and NBC affiliate WSMV, which cited Dickson County School officials.

The Dickson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) told WSMV that the bus was traveling along Highway 49 going eastbound with elementary students aboard when it caught fire. The bus driver pulled over when they noticed the smoke and evacuated the children.

Dickson County School officials told WZTV and WKRN that all students were safely transported away from the bus. It is unclear how many students were on the vehicle at the time of the incident.

The DCSO told WSMV that the bus became fully engulfed in flames shortly afterwards. The fire was eventually extinguished by Believe Harpeth Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, which responded to the scene.

Dickson County Emergency Management Director Rob Fisher told WKRN that the bus was a total loss. He also confirmed that there were no injuries.

The DCSO and Dickson County School did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident.

One of the students on the bus — identified as Charlotte Elementary School first-grader Penelope Winters — told WKRN that she initially noticed the flames. “I saved everyone because I told the bus driver [what] was happening,” she recalled.

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Her sister, Asher Winters, a second-grade student at the same school added, “I was the first one to get off the bus because I was scared it was going to blow up.”

Meghan Griggs, a parent of one of the students on the bus, said that by the time she arrived on the scene, smoke coming from the bus, which had already been charred by the time she got there. Photos she shared with WKRN show the roof of the bus and seats inside burned to a crisp as firefighters attempted to examine the damage.

“My son remembered my phone number. He knew to call me. I didn’t answer the first time, and he kept calling me,” Griggs told the outlet. She added, “Luckily, I am down the road, so it didn’t take me long to get there. My son handled it very well. He was calm, so I didn’t worry as much.”

The DCSO told the outlets that the incident is under investigation.