Twenty-two children were saved from a burning school bus by a mother as well as a bus driver. So, how did this all happen, and is everyone doing okay after this nightmare situation? Keep reading for more details on what happened to the kids and the bus.
22 Minnesota Kids Saved From Burning School Bus
A tragedy struck in Bethel, Minnesota, when a school bus went up in flames. The incident was caught on a Ring camera at the beginning of October 2025 by Kari Thorp. Kari is the mother of a six-year-old whom she was greeting at the end of the school day. Unfortunately, things took a drastic turn when Kari noticed one of the bus’ tires was lighting up and soon enough, the front was completely engulfed. The mother recalled seeing this all go down in real time:
“As soon as I got out the door … I noticed the first flame right above the tire, and I immediately yelled, ‘Fire.’”
With over twenty kids on the bus, Kari rushed into action in order to save them. Kari let the bus driver, Rick Gratton, know what was going on, and together, they worked in tandem. The goal was to get the children off the bus safely, as it was unclear how bad the fire would be. No one knew if it would make its way throughout the whole bus, and if there could be casualties. Fortunately, all of the children evacuated safely and headed right to Kari’s home.
After this happened, those in their Minnesota community were amazed by Kari Thorp and Rick Gratton’s bravery. The quick thinking helped save almost two dozen lives, and clearly, everyone is forever grateful. Unfortunately, what transpired was devastating for the kids who were on the bus. Kari shared this about the aftermath:
“The kids were scared. A lot of them were crying, some of them had backpacks and lunch boxes on there so they were kinda worried about that.”
At the end of the day, the duo recieved gift baskets and are now local heroes, for a good reason.
An Amazing Moment
Knowing what could have happened had Kari Thorp not seen the sparks is terrifying. However, the Minnesota mother rushed right into action, and that is to be applauded. She noted that she was lucky to have had the adrenaline to keep her going. Followers who heard and read about this were thrilled that the twenty-two children were fine:
- OMG !! So Happy & Relieved That All Of The Kids Are Safe
- Tragedy avoided. Great job to the heroes who saved those kids.
Kari has been praised for her fearless moves, but it seems she just did what any good parent would have done. Hopefully, everyone involved has outlets so that they can cope with what happened on that fateful day.
Had you heard about this Minnesota incident and can you believe all of the kids got out safely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
