School bus catches fire en route to soccer game in Marathon

Photo provided.

MARATHON, N.Y. - No injuries were reported after a school bus became engulfed in flames while traveling through Cortland County late Monday afternoon.

At around 4:20 p.m., the Marathon Fire Department and Marathon Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps were called to Route 221, west of the village of Marathon, for a school bus that had caught on fire.

When crews arrived, the bus was engulfed in flames, according to Marathon Assistant Fire Chief Eric Leet.

The fire was extinguished in about three minutes, Leet said.

The school bus was carrying the Trumansburg Varsity and Modified Girls Soccer Teams, according to statement released by the Trumansburg School District Monday night.

"Trumansburg Central School District is breathing a sigh of relief tonight after a school bus carrying our Varsity and Modified Girls Soccer Teams safely evacuated all players, coaches and the driver before their bus caught on fire this afternoon en route to Marathon Central School District," the statement read.

The district praised the actions of the bus driver, Tom Major, for getting all of the students off the bus safely. Major is a retired physical education teacher and former athletic director for the district.