Charlotte bus that caught fire had history of mechanical problems, records show

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus that caught fire in Charlotte yesterday had a recent history of mechanical problems, records show.

Bus 32 caught fire late Thursday afternoon while transporting students from Charles Parker Elementary School.

>> Previous Coverage: School bus catches fire in south Charlotte, no injuries reported

A district spokesman said in a statement shortly after the fire that the bus driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood, stopped the bus and got the students off to safety.

The district did not say how many students were on board.

WBTV requested the school bus inspection and maintanence records from CMS following the fire.

The records show the school bus had a recent history of mechanical problems, including a leak in the exhaust system that was addressed in late 2022 and a new turbo that had to be installed.

Records show the latest safety inspection of the bus, which was conducted in early May, did not find any problems.

A cause of the fire has not yet been identified.